Getty K.J. Wright is unlikely to return to the Seahawks.
The Seattle Seahawks are hoping to have K.J. Wright back for the start of the season, but general manager John Schneider recently indicated the veteran linebacker had offseason shoulder surgery. The news makes the drafting of Jordyn Brooks even more significant as he could be called on early in the season if Wright has not returned to full health.
“He’s rehabbing from his surgery,” Schneider explained to KJR 950 Seattle, per ESPN. “I’m not sure of the timeline of when he’s going to be back. Hopefully he makes it back on time and we’ll see how it goes. It’s a weird offseason for everybody but especially for guys that have had offseason surgery. … Hopefully his name’s up there on the wall someday, right? He’s an amazing person, an amazing player. That’s why we did our deal with him last year.”
Wright Was Mentioned as a Potential Cap Casualty But Is Unlikely to Be Released Prior to the 2020 Season
According to ESPN, Schneider did not discuss the specifics of the surgery but noted it was not serious. Earlier in the offseason, Wright was mentioned as a potential cut candidate, but this appears unlikely given the team is already on the hook for his roster bonus.
“It is safe to say that KJ Wright will not be cut by the Seahawks to make cap room for 2020. A restructure is possible, of course – but he receives a $1M roster bonus on Sunday. Seahawks had till 4PM ET to cut him before the bonus, and it looks like they didn’t make a move,” Hawk Blogger’s Evan Hill tweeted.
Wright Will Be a Free Agent in 2021
Wright has one more year left on his contract and is set to make $5 million in 2020, per Spotrac. It will be worth watching what the team will do next offseason with Wright given he has been an integral part of the Seahawks defense during the Pete Carroll era. When asked about his future, Schneider’s comments did not offer a ringing long-term endorsement.
The addition of Brooks makes it clear that the pressure is on the current Seahawks’ linebackers to perform, but Carroll also emphasized that he believes the rookie can compliment Bobby Wagner along with Wright.
“Jordyn is all about competition, he’s got a great head on his shoulders,” Carroll explained to Seahawks.com. “I really like that he has a lot of respect for Bobby and K.J. He knows of them and he’s followed them and he’s looked up to those guys. The first call I got was from Bobby, he wanted his text information so he could get to him right away. We always need to get faster and get tougher on defense no matter what spot we’re talking about and Jordyn fit that perfectly. We’re really excited to add him to our defense.”
Brooks already could cause a position shift for Wright, but the bigger question is about the veteran linebacker’s future in Seattle beyond 2020. For now, the Seahawks will focus on getting Wright healthy for the upcoming season.
“Schneider hinting at a possible position switch for KJ Wright to SAM LB depending on how Brooks looks,” KJR 950 Seattle’s Dave “Softy” Mahler noted on Twitter.