Uchenna Nwosu Agrees to Reworked Contract, Creating Nearly $10 Million In Cap Space
Late last night, it was reported that the Seattle Seahawks had reworked the contract of pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu, lowering his 2025 cap hit from 21 million dollars to 11.8 million. As part of his restructured deal, the edge defender agreed to a 6.99 million dollar pay cut. In return, he will receive the same amount in guaranteed money, including a 4 million dollar bonus. The nature of his bonus is seemingly unclear, with some reports indicating the 4 million dollars will be a roster bonus while others state it is a signing bonus for agreeing to help the team create cap space.
With the savings from this restructure, Over the Cap reports that the Seahawks hold 70 million dollars in available cap. However, the site doesn’t include the deals with new quarterback Sam Darnold, receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Cooper Kupp, or fellow pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. It has been reported that Darnold will make 37.5 million dollars in 2025, but the details of the other contracts have not yet been made public. Assuming there are bonuses or other workarounds in each of those deals, it is likely that the team is closer to 10 or 15 million dollars below the salary cap at this time.
Nwosu’s time in Seattle has been difficult. In 2022, he showed the team that he could be a game-changer coming off the edge, collecting 9.5 sacks and 42 tackles while forcing 3 fumbles in 17 games. However, since his breakout campaign, Nwosu has played in just 12 of the team’s 34 contests. His 2023 season ended in early October after a Grade 3 pectoral tear required season-ending surgery. He began 2024 on the injury report after a dirty hit in the preseason left Uchenna with an MCL sprain. He missed the first four games of the season due to that issue. In his return to the field, Nwosu pulled his hamstring, costing the defender another game last season. After the string of injuries, Nwosu struggled to make his presence on the field felt. In his six games last season, Uchenna recorded a single sack to pair with 14 tackles.
While the team could have considered Nwosu a release candidate, General Manager John Schneider instead communicated with Uchenna’s agents and worked out an agreement that will keep the defender in the Pacific Northwest through the 2025 campaign at a more reasonable price point. Seattle now has significant depth in the edge rusher position group, with newcomer DeMarcus Lawrence joining Nwosu, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall.