Seahawks lose top edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu for multiple weeks due to knee injury, per report

The Seattle Seahawks will be without edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu for the foreseeable future. The 27-year-old suffered a sprained MCL and is expected to be sidelined for anywhere between 2-6 weeks, according to ESPN. 

Nwosu was injured in the first quarter of Seattle’s preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. He was hit on a chop block that drew a 15-yard penalty and saw him exit the game with what the team noted at the time was a knee injury. Nwosu slowly jogged off the field, but will now be put on the shelf until he recovers. 

Nwosu is entering his third season with the Seahawks after initially entering the NFL as a second-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 out of USC. He previously signed a two-year deal to join Seattle but inked a three-year extension last summer. Injuries have been a part of Nwosu’s tenure with the Seahawks as he was limited to six games last year after suffering a season-ending pectoral injury. He finished the year with 16 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in his six games played. In 2022, Nwosu tallied a career-high 9.5 sacks and 66 total tackles. 

It is important to note that this report detailing is the amount of weeks that Nwosu could be sidelined for and not necessarily games. The organization opens up the season on Sunday, Sept. 8, which is less than two weeks away. So, if he were to be on the shorter end of that reported time period, it’s conceivable he returns to action without missing time at all. However, if he requires more time closer to that reported six-week window, it’s possible he could begin the year on injured reserve and be sidelined for a minimum of four games. 

Seattle opens up the season against the Broncos at home, travels to New England to face the Patriots in Week 2 and rounds up the first month of the year with games against the Miami Dolphins (home) and Detroit Lions (road). 

The Seahawks are not particularly deep at pass rusher, so this loss is a substantial one for first-year head coach Mike Macdonald. To seemingly help cushion the blow of losing Nwosu, the Seahawks recently traded for former Jaguars linebacker Trevis Gipson, but also dealt away veteran Darrell Taylor to the Bears. At the moment, Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, Dre’Mont Jones and Gipson will look the carry the load in Nwosu’s absence.