Eight-year NFL veteran linebacker K.J. Wright signed a 2-year, $15 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. His contract keeps him with the team until 2021. Wright, a one-time Super Bowl champion, has spent the entirety of his NFL career with the Seahawks.
The #Seahawks are signing veteran LB KJ Wright to a 2-year deal worth up to $15.5M, source said. They keep their LB unit together.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2019
K.J. Wright Signs New Deal With Seattle Seahawks
Injuries limited Wright to just five games in the 2018 NFL season. Suffering a knee injury in the preseason finale, Wright underwent arthroscopic knee surgery before returning to the field in Week Eight against the Detroit Lions. The eight-year linebacker appeared in three games before aggravating his knee injury and missing the following five games. However, he managed to return to the field for the final two games of the season and Seattle’s lone playoff game. Including the playoffs, Wright finished his season with 23 tackles, three tackles for loss, and three passes defended.
Wright played football in high school at Olive Branch, Mississippi; and then played college ball at Mississippi State. Wright then entered the league as Seattle’s fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Appearing in all 16 games, Wright recorded 65 tackles, two sacks, and four quarterback hits while starting 12 games. Wright built on this successful season to become a mainstay in Seattle’s starting defense. Wright helped comprise one of the best defenses in recent memory and was a 13-game starter on the Super Bowl champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks.
Wright’s best season likely came in 2016. Playing in all 16 games, the linebacker recorded career-highs in tackles (124), sacks (four), tackles for loss (12), and quarterback hits (eight). This impressive performance earned him his first career Pro Bowl selection.
Wright has played in 112 of a possible 128 games, starting 108. In those games, Wright has recorded 11.5 sacks, 744 tackles, 50 tackles-for-loss, and 23 quarterback hits. Additionally, Wright has two interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries to his name.
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