Entering Year No. 10, Seahawks LB K.J. Wright Still Views Himself as 'One of the Best'
Heading into his 10th NFL season, a "hard-headed" K.J. Wright did everything he could to avoid undergoing offseason shoulder surgery despite being advised to do so by the Seahawks medical staff. After battling a myriad of health issues during the 2018 season, the 31-year old veteran linebacker didn't want to deal with the hassles of another lengthy rehab process.
Eventually, Wright realized surgery was unavoidable, however. Going under the knife several months after Seattle was ousted from the playoffs in Green Bay back in January, doctors initially gave him a timetable that would have likely prevented him from being ready to start the regular season. Further complicating the situation, shortly after he underwent surgery, the Seahawks surprised everyone by selecting Texas Tech standout Jordyn Brooks 27th overall in the first round.
Having been in the NFL for a decade, Wright understands the nature of professional sports and didn't take Seattle's decision to draft Brooks personally. Back during his own rookie campaign, he vaulted his way into the starting lineup by surpassing veteran Aaron Curry, a struggling former top-five pick who was traded to Oakland during the season and now serves on the team's coaching staff.
Following Brooks' arrival, Wright attacked his rehab with great zeal and despite what his doctors told him initially, he avoided landing on the PUP list and participated fully in Seattle's training camp last month. Slated to start at weakside linebacker alongside Bobby Wagner once again, he's been more than willing to guide the rookie along while also recognizing he may eventually replace him in the lineup.
"I had my surgery late, and they were just telling me, 'K.J., you probably won't be out here 'til mid-September, mid-October," Wright told reporters on Thursday. "So all offseason, my mindset was working my tail off to get healthy to be ready for the first game. That was my mindset. And while you're injured, they drafted Brooks and so that was fine as well. I just knew that when I am healthy, I'm one of the best."
Only two short years ago, Wright's time with the Seahawks appeared to be all but finished. Recurrent knee problems after undergoing a scope during the preseason limited him to just five regular season games and even the veteran himself thought he would be wearing another uniform in 2019.
But after a stellar outing in a Wild Card loss to Dallas, Seattle unexpectedly offered Wright a two-year contract to remain with the only team he's ever known. And he rewarded the organization for their faith in him by producing arguably the best season of his career, establishing new personal bests in tackles (132), interceptions (3), and passes defensed (11) while playing in all 16 games.
Proving he still has plenty of juice left in the tank, Wright will get to experience something few players in the NFL accomplish, playing a 10th season as a starter with the same team.
"That's big-time," Wright smiled. "I was talking to Coach [Ken] Norton yesterday - when I got drafted, this was the goal. And I've just had all kinds of crazy experiences, some good, some bad, met a lot of great people along the way, and just being on this team is special, because obviously we know it's not like this everywhere. I've heard some horror stories of other teams, and for me to be here for 10 years and to be happy to be playing and balling, I couldn't be more thankful and grateful. We've still got work to do this, Year 10, we've got to make this the best out of all of them. So that's my goal this year."
Showing few signs of slowing down and remaining a vital leader for the Seahawks, coach Pete Carroll recently commended Wright for his continued excellence on the field as well as his presence offering guidance for Brooks in his first training camp.
"K.J.'s just been such a dream to coach," Carroll said on Friday. "He's been such a great team guy, such a consistently competitive guy, such a smart player, so gracious with other players and younger guys the way he mentors them along. He's tough and he's physical. He had arguably his best year last year. He's just a really good football player with a lot of flexibility in his game and can do a lot of stuff for us."
"He's been one of my all-time favorites and I'm thrilled he had a great camp and he recovered from the shoulder surgery and didn't miss a day, so he continues to be a stud in this program and we're glad to have him."
While Wright knows Brooks is gunning for his job, he and Wagner believe it's part of their personal responsibility to take young players under their wing, even if it's a player at their own position. As Wagner noted, it's much "bigger than football."
"My whole goal is to try to help somebody feed their family, so if I can help them feed their family that's my mindset. Jordyn is no different," Wagner said on Wednesday. "I've given him all the knowledge that I have. Any question that he has for me, I'm helping him, and same with K.J. K.J. has been helping him as well, because we want to see everybody win... [Brooks] made his dream come true and has an opportunity to provide for his family. And so if we can help him do that, we're all for that."
Remembering when he first broke into the league as an unheralded fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State, Wright agrees. The culture established in Seattle is built around competition and after receiving guidance from numerous veterans and coaches during his first few seasons in the league, it's his turn to pay it forward with Brooks as his apprentice in waiting.
"When I came in, first and foremost, Coach Norton, Brandon Mebane - I talked to Leroy Hill today, he actually texted me today - just guys just show me the ropes, motivated me throughout my career," Wright reflected. "It's definitely the culture here. It's a competitive culture, and we know that competition is everything. Everybody's competing to be on the field. Everybody wants to play, nobody wants to be on the sideline watching, so it's definitely competitive nature. But at the same time, you got to share what you know, share your expertise, share your knowledge of the game to help those coming behind you."
Based on comments made by Carroll, Norton, Wagner, and even Wright himself, it's evident everyone within the organization is pulling for Brooks to carve out his own successful NFL career. But while Wright respects the decision to draft the talented linebacker and he's pulling for him, he's not ready to surrender his post just yet and expects to turn in another outstanding season for the Seahawks.
"When they did it, that's the decision the organization want to go with, that was their choice. But I know that when I'm on the field, I got to do my thing as usual."
