Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah and the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms on a new contract. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a one-year agreement for the two sides. Since this signing occured on May 8th, it will have no bearing on Seattle’s compensatory pick formula.
Ziggy Ansah flies to Seattle tomorrow to sign his deal with the #Seahawks. Perhaps the top free agent on the board has agreed to terms. https://t.co/BUhnnvjrLf
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 9, 2019
Ezekiel Ansah, Seattle Seahawks Agree to One-Year Deal
Ansah has spent the entirety of his NFL career up to this point with the Detroit Lions. In 2018, he played under the franchise tag which paid him $17.5 million. But he dealt with a nagging shoulder injury throughout the season which limited him to just seven games and two starts. He tallied four sacks, three tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hits during his time on the field.
The previous year, Ansah put together one of the most impressive campaigns of his career. He regularly harassed the quarterback, accumulating 12 sacks which were tied for the eighth-best total in the NFL in 2017. He added a further 15 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hits while also recovering a fumble.
Ansah certainly showcased his ability as a premier edge defender over his first four years in the league. During that time, he made a total of 57 starts and registered 32 sacks and 42 tackles for loss. His third year in the league was particularly noteworthy as his 14.5 sacks were good enough for third-best in the league. It led to him making the Pro Bowl and earning second-team All-Pro recognition. He also made the PFWA All-Rookie team in 2013.
The Lions took Ansah with the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. It was a meteoric rise considering that Ansah was relatively unheralded heading into his senior year at BYU. But he emerged as a potential sleeper due to a standout campaign that season and further augmented his draft stock by getting named “outstanding defensive player” of the 2013 Senior Bowl.
A native of Accra, Ghana, Ansah was a standout basketball player in high school. Upon arriving at BYU, he tried out for the Cougars basketball team twice but was cut both years. He ended up walking onto the football team in 2010 despite no experience playing the game. It makes the fact that he became a top-five draft pick three years later all the more impressive.
