'Key to Our Defense': Seattle Seahawks' Boye Mafe Thankful For Uchenna Nwosu's Return

The Seattle Seahawks are excited to have Uchenna Nwosu back after missing 11 games last season.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 30, 2024

Sep 24, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) runs for yards after the catch against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

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Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are getting healthier this offseason, and that includes linebacker Uchenna Nwosu returning to action.

Nwosu, 27, suffered a season-ending pectoral injury that required surgery after appearing in just six games last year for the Seahawks. The previous year, his first in Seattle, saw him produce a career-high 66 tackles and 9.5 sacks.

Now, he's gearing to make a full recovery and be back for the Seahawks in 2024.

"He's a key player in our defense and his communication and play style and just everything about him and honestly, it's one of those things that you have when you’ve been missing your brother when you were playing last year, so now you have that chance to play with him, together, another year with him,” Boye Mafe said about Nwosu.

Without Nwosu, Seattle's defense ranked towards the bottom of the league and the team struggled to make tackles, finishing dead-last in rushing defense without him. With Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks walking in free agency, Nwosu's value only grows within the defense.

But with guys shuffling in and out, the defense is ready for what's to come.

"He's one of those guys that helps a lot in that defensive standpoint," Mafe said of Nwosu. "You have to figure out, but at the same time, we've always had that next man up mentality, so it's never one of those situations where you look at as is if it's hindering, but more of a thing of now it's time for the next man to step up and understanding that we all have roles and we all have to play those roles.”

Nwosu hopes not to miss any more action and eyes a season similar to 2022, where he enjoyed the best numbers of his career. And if he's performing well, chances are the Seahawks as a whole will do so.

Published Jun 17, 2024|Modified Jun 30, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.