Dealing a potentially major blow to the Seattle Seahawks’ surging defense, coach Pete Carroll indicated outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu will likely need to surgery to repair a pectoral injury suffered in Sunday’s 20-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Getting up slowly following the play before heading to the sidelines, Nwosu exited the game late in the second quarter at the 3:35 mark after making a tackle on Cardinals running back Emari Demercado. Though he was listed as questionable to return initially, he didn’t play another snap for the remainder of the game, standing on the sidelines sporting a wrap on his injured arm.
After the game, Carroll didn’t have any notable information on the extent of Nwosu’s injury. But on Monday afternoon, while surgery hasn’t been scheduled yet, he made procedure sound imminent for the sixth-year defender, meaning the Seahawks will likely be without one of their top veteran leaders for the remainder of the season.
While Seattle has plenty of confidence in other edge rushers on the team, including Boye Mafe, Darrell Taylor, and rookie Derick Hall, Carroll didn’t sugarcoat how difficult it will be to replace Nwosu’s production and leadership. “Uchenna is a fantastic football player and a great team member,” Carroll said.
“He’s such a tough guy and such a heady player and so consistent. He’s always really physical, so he always sends the right message. We really will miss him.”
Originally drafted in the second round by the Chargers in 2018 after a standout college career at USC, Nwosu signed with the Seahawks on a two-year deal in free agency in March 2022. Immediately bolstering the team’s defense, he set career-highs in tackles (66), sacks (9.5), and tackles for loss (13) while being named a Pro Bowl alternate.
Rewarding him for his efforts and viewing him as a cornerstone for the defense moving forward, Seattle handed Nwosu a three-year extension worth up to $59 million on July 27 at the start of training camp. Before going down on Sunday, he was off to another quality start with 16 tackles, two sacks, and six quarterback hits, playing a lead role for a much-improved pass rush.
With Nwosu expected to need surgery, Carroll said the Seahawks don’t have any plans at the moment to explore adding talent outside of the organization in free agency or via trade. Instead, Mafe, Taylor, Hall, and others already on the roster will need to elevate their game taking on bigger roles in the edge rotation.
“We’re not thinking like that yet,” Carroll commented on the possibility of an outside addition. “We’re going to try to absorb it.”
Assuming Nwosu undergoes surgery in the near future, Seattle will place him on injured reserve to open up a roster spot. In the short-term, former fifth-round pick Tyreke Smith and undrafted rookie Levi Bell currently are on the practice squad and one of those players could be signed to the active roster for additional depth prior to next week’s home game against the Browns.
