HEADLINES

Uchenna Nwosu

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/24

October 10th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s minor moves, including elevations for the opening game of Week 6:

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Signed (off Raiders’ practice squad): C Ben Brown

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Seahawks To Place Uchenna Nwosu On IR

October 8th, 2024 at 11:25am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks are expected to place edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu on injured reserve after injuring his thigh in Seattle’s Week 5 loss to the Giants, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

This is a disappointing setback for Nwosu after he missed the Seahawks’ first four games with a sprained MCL suffered at the end of the preseason. He avoided a stint on injured reserve after that injury, debuting Sunday against the Giants, but his thigh will sideline him for four more games and potentially longer.

Nwosu has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons, landing on season-ending injured reserve with a pectoral injury in October 2023. He played all 17 games in 2022, his first year in Seattle, with career highs in tackles (66), tackles for loss (12), sacks (9.5), and forced fumbles (three). That earned him a three-year extension off of an initial two-year deal, but Nwosu has appeared in just six games since.

The Seahawks will rely on a trio of young outside linebackers to replace Nwosu in head coach Mike Macdonald‘s defense: Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, and Trevis Gipson. Macdonald also has multiple potential options on the practice squad, including former fifth-round pick Tyreke Smith.

The Seahawks had ex-Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser on their practice squad last week, but he was signed to the Dolphins’ active roster on October 3. Seattle could take a look at Yannick Ngakoue, who is currently on the Ravens’ practice squad. He played his first 11 snaps of the season against the Bengals on Sunday with a strong first step and one quarterback pressure on eight pass-rushing snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Macdonald briefly coached Ngakoue during the 2021 season when Baltimore acquired the veteran edge rusher at the deadline while Macdonald was the team’s linebackers coach.

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker Back For Week 4

September 28th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker was off to a hot start in Week 1 with 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries before leaving the game with an oblique injury. He’s been out ever since, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the third-year rusher will make his return to the field in Week 4.

Since Walker’s departure, Zach Charbonnet has stepped in as the lead back in Seattle. He struggled in his first start of the season, amassing only 38 rushing yards on 14 carries but saved the performance with a touchdown, as well as five catches for 31 yards through the air. Last week, he showed RB1 potential with a 91-yard, two-touchdown performance.

While Walker is returning to the field, it might be in the Seahawks’ best interest to slow-play his comeback. The team will obviously want to get Walker involved in the offense, but if they feel confident with the body of work Charbonnet has put forth thus far, they may continue to give Charbonnet a good number of carries until they’re certain Walker is 100 percent.

Walker’s return is obviously good news, but unfortunately, it comes alongside the announcement that four defensive players will be unavailable this coming Monday. Per Brady Henderson of ESPN, defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy and outside linebackers Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe have all been ruled out for Week 4. Williams, Nwosu, and Mafe have been starters so far this year, while Murphy has played a strong rotational role on the line.

Nwosu has missed Seattle’s first three games with an MCL sprain and is not yet ready to come back. The other three all suffered injuries in last week’s matchup with the Dolphins. Murphy suffered a hamstring injury, Williams hurt his ribs, and Mafe aggravated a previous knee issue. The Seahawks will attempt to use Mike Morris and Myles Adams to fill the holes on the line, while Derick Hall and Dre’Mont Jones should fill in at outside linebacker.

NFL Injury Updates: Higgins, Herbert, Seahawks

September 20th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have operated through the first two weeks of the season without two of their top targets from the 2023 NFL season. Tyler Boyd found his way to Tennessee in free agency, and Tee Higgins has missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury. Quarterback Joe Burrow will be happy to see one of the two return in Week 3 against the Commanders, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.

Higgins has been limited at practice throughout this past week, but the fifth-year wideout claimed that “he feels 100% healthy and…should be able to play at full strength” this Monday night. Higgins broke 1,000 yards receiving in his second NFL season despite missing three games, and he’ll be challenged to do so in 2024 after missing two already.

Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may be just as happy to see Higgins as Burrow is. The only major receiving threat in the team’s first two games, Chase has been limited to 10 catches for 97 yards so far this season. Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin have been the beneficiaries of Higgins’ missed time, and they’ll hope that their early efforts have earned them some targets as WR3 and WR4 moving forward.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been seen very little at practice this week after getting rolled up on in last week’s game. Per James Palmer of Bleacher Report, Herbert told reporters he had been dealing with a high ankle sprain. Herbert also mentioned that a decision hasn’t been made yet on whether or not he’ll play this Sunday.
  • The Seahawks will likely be without four starters in Week 3. Running back Kenneth Walker and linebacker Jerome Baker are both doubtful, while outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and right tackle George Fant have already been ruled out. Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Walker could return in Week 4 after missing two contests. ESPN’s Brady Henderson adds that the team is hopeful Nwosu will be back by then, too. He’s reportedly “progressing really quickly,” according to head coach Mike Macdonald.

Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu Out Multiple Weeks, Becomes IR Candidate

August 26th, 2024 at 2:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

An Uchenna Nwosu injury last season wounded the Seahawks’ edge rush. It looks like Mike Macdonald will need to adjust early in his tenure, with the team’s highest-paid edge defender set to miss time once again.

Nwosu suffered a knee injury in Seattle’s preseason finale, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates he is expected to miss multiple weeks. Nwosu is an IR candidate, Rapoport adds. He would miss at least four games if placed on IR, though the Seahawks do have more flexibility here than they would have enjoyed a season ago.

The 2022 free agency addition went down on a Wyatt Teller cut block against the Browns. Nwosu suffered an MCL sprain, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who indicates he faces a two- to six-week recovery timetable. This would make an IR stint sensible. This is a bad break for Nwosu, who missed the second half of last season with a pectoral injury. Impressing during camp in Macdonald’s scheme, Nwosu may now face a best-case scenario of returning in Week 5.

Seattle could go week-to-week with its $15MM-per-year pass rusher. That would take up a roster spot and force the team to declare the seventh-year veteran out until he is ready to go. That would not be the biggest inconvenience, especially if Nwosu is deemed in range to return in September, but the NFL gave teams more flexibility this offseason. A rule tweak will allow teams to place up to two players on IR before setting their 53-man rosters Tuesday. If Nwosu is moved to IR before the 3pm CT deadline, he will immediately count toward the team’s eight-activation limit.

This development stands to prevent the Seahawks from pairing their top edge rusher with a D-line that includes Leonard Williams, Dre’Mont Jones and first-round pick Byron Murphy. Nwosu did not have a chance to play with Williams last year, as the high-priced D-lineman was acquired days after he went down. The Seahawks still have promising third-year cog Boye Mafe, 2023 second-rounder Derick Hall and the recently acquired Trevis Gipson. The team, which had traded Darrell Taylor shortly before Nwosu’s injury, added Gipson in the wake of the setback.

Seahawks’ GM, HC Discuss Byron Murphy Pick; Team Not Expected To Trade From DL Group

May 8th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Rory Parks

MAY 8: The Rams also made an offer for the Seahawks’ No. 16 pick, according to Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline. Los Angeles, which also attempted to trade up higher for Brock Bowers, is believed to have been targeting Murphy. The Eagles’ interest stemmed from a fear they would lose Quinyon Mitchell had they not traded up. Mitchell ended up falling to Philly at No. 22, while the Rams went with Florida State D-lineman Jared Verse at No. 19.

MAY 5: Going into this year’s draft, guard was arguably the Seahawks’ biggest need. And as ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes, Seattle had targeted Alabama’s JC Latham, who was selected by the Titans with the No. 7 overall pick (the ‘Hawks would have slid Latham, a collegiate tackle, to the interior of their O-line, at least in the early stages of his pro career).

[RELATED: Murphy Signs Rookie Deal]

A number of this year’s top defensive prospects fell lower than expected due to an unprecedented run on offensive talent. When the Seahawks were on the clock with the No. 16 pick, only one defensive player, UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu, was off the board, and he went to the Colts at No. 15. That left Texas DT Byron Murphy II available for Seattle, whom the team saw as the best defender in the 2024 class. The ‘Hawks ultimately turned in the card for the former Longhorn.

As offensive players were flying off the board, the Seahawks — who did not have a second-round choice — were fielding trade offers that would have allowed them to move down the board and pick up additional draft capital in the process. Per Henderson, the ‘Hawks received offers from the Steelers, Eagles, Vikings, and Falcons (who were trying to trade back into the first round after surprisingly drafting QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 choice). The Packers were also interested in acquiring Seattle’s No. 16 selection, but Green Bay ultimately did not make an offer.

With Murphy still available but with Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones, Johnathan Hankins, and several recent draftees already on the roster, GM John Schneider was tempted to trade back. However, Seattle is not in rebuild mode, and Schneider felt that Murphy was too good to pass up.

“I’d be lying to you if I said we didn’t think about [trading back],” Schneider said. “But [Murphy], he was just too good. He influences the game, like a lot. He’s got that ability to jump off the ball and get up field. He can play edges, he can play square, he can rush the passer inside, he gets up and down the line of scrimmage.”

New head coach Mike Macdonald added, “he just plays our style of football, really. And then he’s so talented. Versatility along the front, such an aggressive player, plays violently, heavy hands for a guy [of] shorter stature, flexible, pass-rush flexibility — you name it. Yeah, just really excited to have him.”

With all of the D-linemen on the roster and the Seahawks’ shortage of cap space — per OverTheCap.com, Seattle is the only team in the red as of the time of this writing — it would be fair to expect the club to deal from its DL surplus. However, Henderson said the team has no such plans, especially since Macdonald intends to rotate his players more frequently than his predecessor, Pete Carroll.

In related news, the team is expected to have outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu back for training camp, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Nwosu, who recorded 9.5 sacks in his first Seattle slate in 2022, suffered a pectoral strain in October and missed the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He is under contract through 2026 by virtue of the three-year, $45MM extension he signed in July.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/23

October 26th, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Reagor has been called up as a standard gameday elevation three times now for the Patriots, the maximum under a single practice squad contract. It remains to be seen if he will stick on the team’s active roster, but if he’s going to see any more game action this year, the promotion was a necessary one. He’s obviously able to play while on the active roster, but if the team were to release him and re-sign him to the practice squad, he would have the ability to be elevated three more times on the new deal.

The Bills and Buccaneers are making their standard gameday elevations for Thursday Night Football tonight. Veterans Isabella and Norman will both be making their season debuts if they see the field tonight in Buffalo, as will LeCounte and Senat for the Bucs. Norman has a good chance to see the field with Kaiir Elam out and Tre’Davious White still on injured reserve. Senat likewise should get a chance to rotate in for Tampa with Vita Vea currently inactive.

Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu Out For Season

October 23rd, 2023 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks will be without one of their top pass rushers for the rest of the season. While Pete Carroll said earlier today (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta) that Uchenna Nwosu suffered a pectoral strain and would miss time, a later update confirmed a long recovery timetable.

Nwosu will need season-ending surgery to repair the issue, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This news comes nearly three months after Nwosu signed a three-year, $45MM extension to stay in Seattle through 2026.

Last season rewarded the Seahawks for a midlevel investment on the edge; Nwsou posted 9.5 sacks and notched 26 quarterback hits. The Seahawks had given the ex-Joey Bosa Chargers sidekick a two-year, $19.1MM deal in free agency. Despite never finishing a season with more than five sacks in Los Angeles, Nwosu hit the ground running in Seattle, making a big difference in the team securing a wild-card berth despite the Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner departures.

Nwosu ended up passing on the chance to use this season as a platform for a 2024 free agency audition, opting to sign an early extension that locks him down throughout the mid-2020s. That now looks like a smart move. The Seahawks guaranteed Nwosu, 26, $16.6MM at signing, according to OverTheCap. Nwosu will see an additional $6MM guaranteed, with money moving from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee, in February 2024. That represents part of his 2025 salary ($14.48MM).

Although the Bolts chose Nwosu in the 2018 second round, they kept their Bosa-Melvin Ingram pair in place for much of the USC alum’s rookie contract. Ingram did not move on until 2021, and the Chargers bumped Nwosu into their starting lineup. Nwosu notched 17 QB hits that season, displaying some upside during the five-sack contract year. That was enough for the Seahawks, who were in the process of remodeling their defense to a 3-4 look under then-new DC Clint Hurtt.

Hurtt’s unit struggled in his first season, ranking 25th in points allowed. The Seahawks operated more aggressively this offseason, adding Dre’Mont Jones and bringing back Wagner to replace the departed Cody Barton. The team has also used second-round picks on edge players in each of the past two years, drafting Boye Mafe in 2022 and Derick Hall this year. This gave Seattle a rare four-second-rounder OLB corps. Both Mafe and Hall arrived via picks obtained in the Wilson trade, and each will become a more prominent figure in the wake of Nwosu’s injury.

This year, Hurtt’s defense ranks 12th in scoring and yards allowed; Mafe has taken a step forward, with his four sacks tied for the team lead. The team also rosters Darrell Taylor, a 2020 second-round pick who fared well last season (9.5 sacks). Taylor has only started one game this year, working in a rotational role behind Nwosu and Mafe, but should now have a chance to log more playing time in a pivotal stretch for his earning potential.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Rams, Nwosu

August 3rd, 2023 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

It has long been expected Kyler Murray will miss time to start the season. The Cardinals have not kept a great secret regarding their rebuilding strategy, and even if the team’s new regime had assembled a team on the contender radar, rushing a dual-threat quarterback in a return from an ACL tear would not be a good idea. Murray addressed this matter recently, and ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss notes the two-time Pro Bowler was not sure he can make it back by Week 1. The fifth-year passer, who is aiming to return by the season’s outset, refused to put a timetable on his recovery.

The Cardinals placed Murray on the active/PUP list, which could be a precursor to his being stashed on the reserve/PUP list. The latter designation requires a four-game absence to start the year. Colt McCoy, who missed time this offseason due to an elbow ailment, sits as the presumptive Week 1 starter if Murray can’t go. McCoy will turn 37 just before the regular season. Though, the team also rosters David Blough and drafted Clayton Tune in Round 5.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • The player Murray advocated for in the first round, Paris Johnson, is working with Arizona’s first-string offensive line to start camp. During their offseason program, the Cardinals had not determined if the No. 6 overall pick would play guard or tackle. For now, the Ohio State product has lined up at tackle. Johnson began camp at right tackle, opposite D.J. Humphries, and has remained there into August, per GOPHNX.com’s Bo Brack and Weinfuss (Twitter links). The Cardinals re-signed Kelvin Beachum, their three-year right tackle starter, to a two-year, $5.15MM deal in March. With Will Hernandez and Elijah Wilkinson working as the team’s first-string guards, it will be interesting to see how the Cards proceed with Beachum and contract-year blocker Josh Jones, who replaced Humphries at left tackle after a midseason injury.
  • Staying on the subject of O-lines, both Joseph Noteboom and Alaric Jackson are back in action after moving past their respective issues (Achilles tear, blood clots), per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (subscription required). The two have split time at left tackle in camp. Jackson is battling Joseph Noteboom for the Rams‘ left tackle job. While Noteboom was mentioned as a guard candidate — if he loses out on the blindside gig to Jackson — Rodrigue adds the loser of this battle is likely ticketed for a swing backup role. That would be quite the fall for Noteboom, who signed a three-year deal worth $40MM in 2022. Due to an offseason restructure, Noteboom is not a realistic cut candidate.
  • Uchenna Nwosu‘s three-year, $45MM Seahawks extension will pay out $16.6MM in full guarantees, according to OverTheCap. The deal moved the edge rusher’s 2023 cap hit down, by about $3MM, to $10.1MM. In 2024, Nwosu’s cap hit will drop, checking in at $8.1MM. His 2025 number spikes to $21.5MM. Nwosu’s 2025 base salary checks in at $14.5MM, and ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson notes $6MM of that total is guaranteed for injury at signing (Twitter link). That $6MM shifts to a full guarantee by February 2024, giving Nwosu partial security a year out. An incentive-based escalator (based on Nwosu’s sack totals) is in place for 2026, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds, with Henderson noting it could increase the ’26 payout by $6MM (Twitter links)
  • After four seasons in Kliff Kingsbury‘s Air Raid offshoot, the Cardinals look to be prepared to take advantage of their tight end depth under new OC Drew Petzing. The ex-Browns staffer is preparing to lean on two-tight end formations featuring both Zach Ertz and Trey McBride, Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Chosen in last year’s second round, McBride caught 29 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown as a rookie. The Colorado State product played 599 offensive snaps as a rookie, but much of that work came after Ertz’s midseason ACL tear. McCoy confirmed (via Weinfuss) the Cards should be expected to line up in 12 personnel more frequently than they did under Kingsbury.

Seahawks Extend OLB Uchenna Nwosu

July 25th, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Ely Allen

JULY 25: Financial details of the deal are in, courtesy of NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). Nwosu will see $45MM in base earnings across the three new years of his contract, with the potential to see as much as $59MM. That will represent a sizeable raise for the 26-year-0ld, allowing him to join the 15 other edge rushers around the league who average at least $15MM per season on their current deals. Continued progression from last season’s success will be beneficial for both team and player over the next several years.

JULY 24: After a slow start to his career in Los Angeles, edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu really found his footing during a breakout season in Seattle last year. As a result, the Seahawks have decided not to let the 26-year-old even sniff free agency, extending his contract for three years, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Nwosu, a former second-round pick out of USC, stayed close to home for his first stop in the NFL. He played sparingly as a rotational pass rusher for the Chargers. Nwosu only made 10 starts in his first three years but contributed when given the opportunity, delivering 10.0 sacks, as well. Finally given a chance to start more regularly in a contract year, Nwosu gave his best performance to date, recording then-career-highs in total tackles (40), sacks (5.0), tackles for loss (8), quarterback hits (17), and forced fumbles (2).

The new highs were a good audition for free agency, but the numbers didn’t quite match what a full season of starting should produce. Regardless, the Seahawks took a chance on him, signing him to a “prove it” deal while still awarding him enough money to entice him to Seattle. Nwosu immediately rewarded the Seahawks for their investment. Starting every game of the season for the first time in his career, Nwosu delivered new career-highs of 66 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles.

After such a stellar season that finally saw a production that matched Nwosu’s level of play on the field, Seattle saw no use in allowing Nwosu to play out his contract year in 2023. Instead, they signed Nwosu to a three-year extension that can be worth up to $59MM. Schefter also reported that Nwosu will receive a guaranteed amount of $32MM in the new contract. The deal doesn’t pay him as much as the top pass rushers in the league, rightfully so as he has yet to see double-digit sack totals, but if he can realize the full value of the contract, he would be a top-eight earner at the position.

Nwosu will now comfortably return to what is continuing to look like one of the NFL’s best all-around linebacking corps. He’ll lineup opposite Darrell Taylor, who also totaled 9.5 sacks last season, with Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner between them. The Seahawks don’t lack depth at the position either as Devin Bush and Boye Mafe wait patiently in the wings. With contract worries now behind him, Nwosu can concentrate on continuing to progress in his NFL development for his team of the next several years.

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