When the 2018 regular season concluded, veteran linebacker K.J. Wright had played just five games, and his future with the Seattle Seahawks was in serious jeopardy.
However, an extremely strong performance in Seattle’s wild card loss to the Cowboys helped build some of his confidence back, and after re-signing for two years and $14 million dollars, Wright had a resurgent 2019 season with the Seahawks.
The veteran linebacker appeared in all 16 games for Seattle, recording a career-high 132 combined tackles – his fifth season of 100 plus tackles.
“It’s been amazing watching him play, especially after last year,” teammate Bobby Wagner commented on Wednesday. “He had a lot of struggles last year injury-wise. But he came back. You could see towards the end of the game, I’ve mentioned before, against Dallas. That kind of transitioned into the next season.”
Wright not only rebounded from an injury-riddled campaign, he also had to adjust to a new defensive scheme that saw him out in pass coverage far more often than in year’s past. Wright managed to excel in that new role, with 11 pass breakups and three interceptions – both career highs.
“K.J. is just one of a kind,” defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. said on Wednesday. “Extremely unique. He’s a really heady, smart, instinctive guy. He spends a lot of time studying, watching film, talking ball. He’s just a gym rat. He loves ball. He knows how to carry it over to action on the football field. He’s been doing it for a long time. He’s, no question, one of the best.”
Wright is one of the most prolific tacklers in Seahawks franchise history, and his resurgence after many felt his career was circling the drain is a remarkable story that went overlooked this season.
“It’s really fun to watch him be successful,” Wagner continued. “The man he is, the person he is. The way he prepares. I wasn’t surprised by it. I was very, very happy for him.”
Wright and Wagner will look to lead this team to victory in the wild card matchup in Philadelphia against the Eagles, which is slated to kick off at 1:40 p.m. PT on Sunday, January 5.
