The Seattle Seahawks showed why their defense can still decide games after taking down the Patriots in the NFL’s season opener.
A veterans helping to drive that identity is also going into the final season of his contract.
Bleacher Report named Uchenna Nwosu as Seattle’s “most important” 2027 free agent, putting a spotlight on a pass rusher who has delivered one of the defining plays in franchise history.
Nwosu’s future is interesting because his contract has been altered once.
He signed a three-year, $45 million extension in 2023, then agreed to a reworked two-year deal worth $19.51 million in 2025 after injuries disrupted consecutive seasons.
ESPN reported at the time that the agreement reduced his pay while giving him opportunities to earn money back through incentives. The revised deal runs through 2026, leaving him scheduled for unrestricted free agency next spring.
His opening-night performance handed Seattle extra grounds to keep the contract dialogue alive.
Nwosu Opens Contract Year With Pressure
Nwosu didn’t record a sack in the Seahawks’ 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots, but the box score undersells his impact.
Pro Football Focus credited him with five pressures on only 19 pass-rush snaps. He finished with a 76.7 overall grade, third among qualifying edge defenders through the first game of the season, while adding three solo tackles against the run in PFF’s charting.
Seattle’s official statistics gave Nwosu five total tackles and a pass breakup. The Seahawks eventually sacked quarterback Drake Maye three times and pressured him on 38.1% of his dropbacks, helping fuel three interceptions in the fourth quarter.
For Nwosu, it was a continuation of the comeback he put together in 2025.
After injuries limited him to six games in both 2023 and 2024, Nwosu played 16 games last season and tied for the Seahawks’ team lead with seven sacks.
He then produced the signature moment of Seattle’s Super Bowl LX victory, returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown to help seal the championship against New England, via his official Seahawks biography.
That postseason play gave Nwosu a permanent place in the franchise’s recent history. His next challenge is proving his 2025 rebound can hold up over another full season.
Seattle already knows what a healthy Nwosu can look like over 17 games. In his first season with the Seahawks in 2022, he set career highs with 9.5 sacks, 66 tackles and three forced fumbles. That production helped earn the extension that originally tied him to Seattle through 2026.
Seahawks Have Depth, But Nwosu Brings a Distinct Role
Seattle has invested heavily in its edge rotation, which gives the front office leverage when it eventually evaluates Nwosu’s next deal.
The Seahawks have veteran and younger options around him, and Nwosu is playing this season on a substantial cap figure. Over the Cap lists his 2026 cap charge at just over $20 million, with $11.51 million in cash scheduled for the season.
That number doesn’t automatically forecast what a new contract would cost. Nwosu will turn 30 in December, and his injury history will be part of any negotiation. His value to Seattle, however, goes past age and raw sack totals.
He has been an every-down player when healthy, can defend the run and pressure quarterbacks, and has already shown he can affect the biggest games without piling up sacks. His five-pressure opener was another example.
Bleacher Report’s selection points to the larger roster question Seattle will face after its title defense. Keeping a championship defense together usually requires choosing which veterans still justify another commitment.
Nwosu has an entire season to make that case. One game into it, he has already started applying pressure in more ways than one.
Seahawks Face Looming Contract Decision on Super Bowl Hero Following NFL Opener