Oct 2, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Dre'Mont Jones (55) and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) sack New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks defense moves closer to full strength in 2025 as veteran pass rusher clears key hurdle in comeback from injury

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kyle Crabbs | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 12:35 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks ' defense has high, high expectations in 2025. Under head coach Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks boast a year of experience in their defensive scheme and now have given Macdonald and general manager John Schneider an offseason to work on a shopping list designed to fill in some of the blanks between what Seattle had last year and what they need to take their defense to the next level.

A constant churn at linebacker seems to have finally settled, the team tacked on a major defensive weapon in South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori courtesy of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the unit was bolstered by several free agent veteran additions such as Demarcus Lawrence and Shaquill Griffin.

But there's another development for Seattle's defense to celebrate. One of the team's most unique defenders is one step closer to a return to action. Pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu passed his physical on Sunday.

Uchenna Nwosu passes physical, takes another step closer to a return to action

Nwosu underwent knee surgery this offseason in what has been the latest development in a brutal stretch for the former USC Trojan. Nwosu was electric in his first season in Seattle in 2022, posting 9.5 sacks and 26 quarterback hits. But injuries have held him to just six games played in each of the last two seasons respectively, hindering his ability to follow through on what appeared to be a major turning point in his career.

Head coach Mike Macdonald seemed to indicate that he won't be full tilt from the jump, but Seattle shouldn't need him to be, either. “We have a preliminary timetable of the beginning of the season (for Nwosu)," said Macdonald on Sunday.

Adding an experienced and diverse veteran back into the mix should only help Macdonald's defense with their ability to present pressure and attack offenses with unorthodox combinations of actual rushers while dropping defenders on the line into throwing windows. With Nwosu's length, he can be a valuable spot dropped underneath in addition to his power off the edge.

It all starts with getting him on the field. And the good news for Seattle is they're one step closer to that coming to pass as of yesterday.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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