'I Want to Be Here': Nwosu Talks Extension & Expectations

RENTON, Wash. - From a financial perspective, at just 26 years of age, nobody would have faulted Uchenna Nwosu for bypassing an extension offer with the Seattle Seahawks and aiming to further boost his value before hitting free agency next March.

For Nwosu, however, he wanted nothing to do with the prospect of potentially not playing in Seattle next season and beyond. When he stepped foot in the VMAC last spring for the first time, it was love at first sight, and after his agent approached the team about an extension late in his breakout season last December and those discussions continued into the offseason, the possibility of making himself more money in the final year of his contract became a moot point.

"I want to be here," Nwosu told reporters prior to Seattle's first training camp practice on Wednesday. "I don’t want to have the possibility of having to go somewhere else. The culture here, the young team here, Pete [Carroll], the connections of people I see all the time, it feels like a home here. It’s not too far from LA , two-and-a-half-hour flight, it’s on the west coast, the weather is nice, and I just want to be here. It just makes sense for me to be here, so why would I want to chance going somewhere else, when I’m right at home being here.”

Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick for the Chargers, Nwosu has steadily improved in each of his five seasons, climbing the ladder to emerge as one of the NFC's best young pass rushers. After setting career-highs in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback pressures in his first year with the Seahawks, his trajectory continues to be trending upward and with another strong season in 2023, he would certainly have been one of the most coveted players on the open market.

But that was never what Nwosu wanted and the Seahawks made locking him up long-term and keeping the ascending talent in the Pacific Northwest a top priority. As they have done numerous times during general manager John Schneider's tenure, the front office negotiated and hammered out final details during the six-week break between OTAs and training camp.

On cue, the two sides struck a deal on Monday with Nwosu signing a three-year, $59 million extension, tying him to the Seahawks through 2026 with top-10 edge rusher money. While he wouldn't have been surprised if negotiations lasted into camp, he's relieved the contract came together before the season started.

“I know there is a timeline going into it. You know you see things still going on even in training camp," Nwosu commented. "I know it can take all the way up until the first game, so it was a long process and thankfully I was able to get it done before we start out here, so I can just focus all on ball.”

Heading into his sixth season, while he hopes to make his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro squads in 2023 and continue earning more respect for his game, team goals remain the central focus for Nwosu. Eager to take another step in his progression as a player, he trained throughout the offseason in Orange County as he did last spring, setting his sights on helping the Seahawks push for an NFC West crown after finishing second behind the 49ers last season.

Playing in a scheme Nwosu believes perfectly accentuates his strengths with the green light to "shoot my shot" as a playmaker both as a pass rusher and run defender, the veteran edge rusher is excited about the potential of the defense as a whole for multiple reasons.

For one, the Seahawks will be entering their second season running a hybrid 3-4 scheme under defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt. From a familiarity aspect, returning players should feel more comfortable with the system, particularly in regard to run fits and gap assignments, which have been emphasized after the team struggled mightily ranking 30th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game.

On top of the scheme continuity, Nwosu couldn't be more excited about the additions made by Seattle during the offseason, starting with defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones. The big ticket free agent acquisition, who starred in a similar system for Vic Fangio in Denver, has surpassed 5.5 sacks in each of the past three seasons and his dynamic presence in the interior should make life easier for the rest of the defensive front, including creating ideal one-on-one matchups for outside rushers.

"It takes attention off me," Nwosu said of Jones' arrival. "Hopefully a lot less chips and double teams. A lot less help from the guards because they have to focus on a talented player like him. He does whatever he wants inside which will free me up coming off of him or just beating around the edge or just doing a lot of things, so I appreciate Dre and am happy to have him here.”

Along with Jones, the Seahawks welcomed back an old friend in future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner, who re-signed on a one-year deal after spending last season with the NFC West-rival Rams. Back in his No. 54 jersey as if he never left, his impact could already been seen on the field on Wednesday leading by example chasing down plays sideline-to-sideline and helping coach up younger players as an on-field mentor.

From Nwosu's point of view, with both players offering ample experience playing in similar schemes and carry long track records of production, Jones and Wagner should immediately bolster Seattle's run defense. Adding top-five pick Devon Witherspoon and safety Julian Love to an already talented secondary along with other moves in the trenches, with a new deal of his own in tow, he's eager to see how much the defense has improved and ecstatic he will be part of the foundation being built for years to come.

“I love a lot of things about this defense. You know we got a lot of young guys, a lot of good young guys coming back. We bolstered up the interior defensive line to help us out this year. We are making more of an emphasis on the run game and everybody is buying into the culture and the scheme. You got Hurtt coming into another year getting everybody going. Just the energy, just the excitement, just the talent we got on this defense.”