Linebacker K.J. Wright signed a one-day contract on Wednesday with the Seattle Seahawks in order to retire with the organization after spending 10 years with the team from 2011 to 2020. Wright ends his career as one of the all-time greats in Seattle after he won the starting role at middle linebacker in his rookie season. Over his 10 seasons with the Seahawks, Wright piled up 934 tackles, the third-most in team history behind Bobby Wagner and Eugene Robinson, and he was named to the Pro Bowl in 2016. During his 10 seasons with the team, Seattle went to the playoffs eight times, winning four division titles, two NFC championships and one Super Bowl title. Seattle's defense was one of the best in NFL history in 2012-15 with Wright starting at linebacker.
The Las Vegas Raiders signed free-agent linebacker K.J. Wright to a one-year deal on Thursday, Josina Anderson of ESPN reported. The 32-year-old veteran and long-time Seattle Seahawk joins the Silver and Black with 941 combined tackles (66 tackles for loss) and 13.5 sacks recorded over his career. Additionally, Wright was the only player in the league last season to record double-digit tackles for loss (11) while also being moved from weakside linebacker to strongside. Wright is a big addition to the Raiders' defense that promises a lot of upside, especially with Nicholas Morrow still sidelined with an injury.
Veteran Linebacker K.J. Wright Meeting With Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are meeting with former Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright with the hopes of getting a contract signed. Former Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is now in Las Vegas, so it is a perfect fit for the 32-year-old. Wright played 10 seasons in Seattle and can still be an effective player as he heads into Year 11 of his career. In 2020, Wright finished with 86 tackles (60 solo), three quarterback hits, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Wright will look to help the Las Vegas defense that finished near the bottom in most categories during the 2020 season.
Seattle Seahawks impending free-agent linebacker K.J. Wright said "it makes absolutely no sense" to take a hometown discount as he heads into free agency next month. "I do way too much on the football field to take a discount," said Wright. He was the only player in the league last year to hit double digits in both tackles for loss (11) and passes defensed (10), while also having a pair of sacks and an interception at age 31. Wright made $6.75 million per season on his 2014 contract extension and $7.75 million per year on the two-year deal he signed in 2019. Seattle is tight against the salary cap, though, so it remains to be seen if they can meet Wright's asking price, and they will likely want to see more of Jordyn Brooks, who was drafted 27th overall to eventually replace Wright. The 31-year-old is Seattle's longest-tenured player as a fourth-rounder in 2011. He's third on the team's all-time tackles list.
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider revealed on Thursday that linebacker K.J. Wright (shoulder) recently underwent shoulder surgery. However, Schneider said the surgery wasn't serious, but it remains unclear when Wright will be back. The Seahawks also drafted Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks in the first round last week, and he could slide into the weakside linebacker spot with Wright being used on the strong side. Wright also missed 11 games in 2018 after having knee surgery. Because of limitations for players rehabbing due to the coronavirus, Wright's timetable for a return could be impacted. He has primarily played on the weak side since 2013, combining with Bobby Wagner to form one of the best inside linebacking duos in their time together. Wright had 132 combined tackles last year and three interceptions, but it remains to be seen how a move to the strong side might affect his performance.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright ranked 16th at the position in fantasy points over the last five weeks. He has 43 tackles (21 solo), no sacks and four passes defended. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a midrange matchup for linebackers, and Wright doesn't carry a ton of upside. You can consider him as a flex option, but without much sack potential, he is reliant on tackles.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright had to be visited by the trainers after Alvin Kamara's touchdown run on Sunday, but he told the media after the game that he was fine. Wright said he just got the wind knocked out of him, and he should be good to go. That's a breath of fresh air for Seattle, who were saddled with their first loss of the season. Though New Orleans tallied 33 points, nowhere near all the blame hangs on the defense since 14 of those points were scored on a scoop-and-score fumble and a punt return. The Seattle defense did struggle to contain Kamara, but that's hardly a rare problem. With the whole squad healthy, the Seahawks Defense should be pretty solid moving forward.
The Seattle Seahawks will re-sign linebacker K.J. Wright for two years and up to $15.5 million on Thursday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The 29-year-old missed 11 games last year with a knee injury, but he's a tackling machine when healthy. Before his injury last year, Wright had four straight seasons of 100-plus tackles, so he'll surely be an IDP force if he's healthy for Seattle. The heart of the Seahawks defense in the middle with Wright and Bobby Wagner will remain intact despite losing All-Pro safety Earl Thomas in free agency.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker KJ Wright is out for Sunday's game against Carolina due to recurring knee issues, and that makes Seattle's defense a questionable play. Carolina isn't exactly an offensive powerhouse, but Seattle has been ripped by patterns across the middle this year. The Panthers have hung a lot of points on a couple soft defenses recently, and fantasy owners should expect them to attack those middle zones just like Green Bay did last week. It can still turn out okay because of Seattle's coaching prowess, but it just rides a fine line that can fall apart if they catch a few bad bounces. Owners should probably look elsewhere this week.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright (knee) is doubtful to play on Thursday night against the Packers. Wright wants to make sure he's 100 percent healthy for the stretch run of the season. He had arthroscopic knee surgery in the last week of August and missed the first six games of the season. Wright has played three games but didn't feel great in Week 10. His absence is a downgrade for Seattle's interior defense and an upgrade for Packers running back Aaron Jones.
