Two-Sack Game 'Means A Lot' For Seahawks Outside Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu

After battling through multiple injuries, outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu had his first multi-sack game in two years to help the Seahawks beat the Cardinals Thursday night.

Sep 26, 2025 at 12:25 AM

John Boyle

Seahawks.com Senior Reporter

GLENDALE—Through multiple surgeries and countless hours of rehab, Uchenna Nwosu knew a game like this would someday be the reward.

Despite missing 22 of 34 games over the past two seasons, as well as this year's opener, the Seahawks outside linebacker never got down or doubted what he was working for, and the payoff finally came on Thursday night when Nwosu had 2.0 sacks in the Seahawks' 23-20 win over the Cardinals.

It was Nwosu's first multi-sack game since early in the 2023 season, which ended for him two weeks later due to a pectoral injury. Nwosu fought his way back from that injury, only to suffer a knee injury in the preseason last season. Then when he came back from that injury, he suffered a thigh injury in his first game back, leading to more missed games. Nwosu was able to play late last season, but had knee surgery in the offseason, which led to him opening camp on the physically unable to perform list and miss the season opener.

"It means a lot," Nwosu said. "Everybody knows my road hasn't been easy and (dealing) with everything. I kept my mind to the grind. I just stayed down always telling myself things could be worse. I'm blessed to be in this position, so make the most of it, I know I'll be back. I just kept preparing the way I usually do and attacked my rehab really hard. Studied, leaned on my brothers. All of my brothers in the locker room kept staying positive with me. The trainers--everybody. It was a whole organizational effort to get me back on that field. I'm very appreciative and I take none of those moments for granted."

It meant a lot to Nwosu's teammates as well because they have seen the work it took for him to get back to this level.

"Chenna, that's my guy," middle linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. "Super happy, super excited, super proud of him. to go through what he's been going through and come out here today and get two sacks. I'm proud of him."

Having missed most of camp and the preseason, Nwosu has been playing his way into football shape the past few weeks, then his workload Thursday likely was bigger than planned due to a thigh injury knocking DeMarcus Lawrence out of the game. But Nwosu was happy to fight through it to help his team earn a win.

"I was gassed out there tonight, but that just means when I get back to the facility and get on that incline, treadmill, Stairmaster—something to get my wind up," Nwosu said. "I feel good. When it came down to it, I didn't care how tired I was. I was out there just trying to make plays, but definitely got to get some more running and conditioning."

Prior to his run of injuries, Nwosu, who signed with the Seahawks as a free agent in 2022, was one of the Seahawks' best defensive players for his first season and a half in Seattle, so having a healthy and productive Nwosu back is big not just because it rewards his hard work, but also because it makes the Seahawks better on defense.

"I'm super happy," defensive end Leonard Williams said. "I played with that guy in college. He was one of the guys I was most excited about to play with when I was traded here. He's been battling some injuries. The thing that has impressed me the most is that it never got to him mentally. I see players go through injuries, especially back-to-back injuries like he had and you can see it creep into people's mental (health). He's always been a leader, even when he hasn't been on the field. It's nice to see him come out and have a game like this today."

Nwosu's two-sack game was just part of a strong day for Seattle's pass rush, which recorded 6.0 sacks of Kyler Murray, no easy feat given the Arizona QB's elusiveness, and seven quarterback hits.

"It's tough, you definitely don't want to rush scared," Williams said of pass rushing against a mobile quarterback. "At the same time, you have to understand that you can't give him big pockets. You can't give him outside lanes to run. He obviously is going to make his plays on the ground, which he did today. Overall, I think we did a good job getting to him, a good job containing him and I think it just comes down to rushing as one like I said throughout the week. This is one of those weeks where you really have to rush as one. We talk about it all the time in the defensive line room, and it has to show up in these type of games."