Seahawks Legend K.J. Wright Announces Coaching Position With NFC West Rival

Jumping into the coaching ranks for the first time, K.J. Wright will do so wearing rival colors in San Francisco after a decorated 10-year playing career with the Seattle Seahawks.

Dropping an unexpected bombshell on Monday that won't please fans, iconic Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright will be taking his coaching talents to the sidelines for a bitter rival next season.

Making the announcement on his "KJ All Day" podcast on Monday morning, Wright announced he has accepted an assistant linebacker/defensive quality control coach position with the 49ers, joining Kyle Shanahan's staff for his first NFL coaching opportunity. The former Mississippi State star retired from the league prior to the 2022 season and has been an active media presence with Seattle Sports 710 over the past two years, but can't wait for his new challenge.

"I am thoroughly excited," Wright said. "I'm really happy for this opportunity, really happy for the 49ers organization believing in me, and trusting me with their franchise. I've competed against those guys since day one. My first ever NFL game was against the 49ers... and here I am 13 or 14 years later and I'm coaching for them."

One of the top tacklers in franchise history and a beloved figure in Seattle, K.J. Wright will sport red and gold as an assistant on Kyle Shanahan's staff in San Francisco

One of the unheralded stars of Seattle's historic "Legion of Boom" defense, Wright played 10 seasons for the Seahawks after being selected in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Starring alongside future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner in the middle, he racked up 941 combined tackles, the third-most in franchise history, along with 13.5 sacks, 68 tackles for loss, and 11 interceptions.

Surrounded by stars such as Wagner, Richard Sherman, and Earl Thomas, Wright only made one Pro Bowl team and never earned All-Pro accolades, but his presence proved far more valuable to Seattle's success than his accolades may suggest. A respected leader who excelled at everything from blowing up screens to handling tight ends in coverage, he played at a high level for a decade, giving everything he had to the organization before hanging up his cleats.

When Wright retired in 2022, he indicated he wanted to take some time away from the game to be with his family, including his three children. At that time, a full-time coaching position didn't seem of interest to him,

"I have the heart for it, and I think I’ll be really dang good at it, but they make a really, really big sacrifice," Wright said at the time. "They’re up here super early, leaving super late, and I’m just not mentally ready to be away from home like that. I have three kids. My daughter’s playing volleyball and I want to see every single one of those games she plays. Little man’s about to do track and football and I don’t want to miss a thing. I know that I do have to do something and so if I could find a way to be around football, but also be in my kids’ lives, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Two years later, after spending some valuable time away from the game, Wright had an itch to get back into the NFL. Once Shanahan came calling with a chance to join his staff, he couldn't pass up on an opportunity that he feels is his destiny.

"This is where my heart is," Wright remarked. "My heart is in coaching, my heart is in building something special. Team work, camaraderie, going through the ups, going through the downs, finding a game plan to be successful, this is what I do. This is what I've been called to do."

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While some fans may view Wright's decision to join San Francisco's staff as traitorous, he doesn't owe any allegiance to Seattle as an organization, especially since long-time coach Pete Carroll was replaced by Mike Macdonald this offseason. He spent the past few years as a regular bystander on the sideline at training camp, but with a new era starting minus Carroll, former players likely won't have that same connection with the franchise they once did.

Provided an excellent first coaching opportunity with a talented linebacker room headlined by Fred Warner, who he previously played against, it would have been inexplicable for Wright to pass on it simply because the team used to be a rival. Demonstrating all the qualities of a good coach when he played, he should be an excellent addition to an already top-tier staff.