By Gregg Bell | The Associated Press
SEATTLE — K.J. Wright has become so Seattle, he’s now wearing red-and-black lumberjack flannel to postgame Zoom interviews.
Sunday, after their most recent win, it looked like Eddie Vedder plays linebacker for the Seahawks.
Yet 2½ years ago, Wright was shopping for a new home, out of the Pacific Northwest. The Mississippi native’s contract was up in Seattle. The team that drafted him in 2011 let his deal expire. Free agency was beginning. Wright was exploring his first move within the NFL.
After briefly shopping, he was excited to sign a two-year contract worth up to $15 million to stay with the Seahawks.
“This is home,” he said in the spring of 2019.
But only the first year of that new deal, 2019, was guaranteed. He knew he’d have to earn the second and final year of his contract. This year.
He said he’d assess where to go from there.
He’s so much more than earned 2020. At age 31, Wright has earned the choice to stay in Seattle — and to play as long as he wants.
“I don’t know who was talking about his last year. He and I don’t talk about ‘last’ years,” 69-year-old coach Pete Carroll joked Monday.
That was a day after Wright’s latest impressive performance all over the defense in Seattle’s 40-3 demolition of the New York Jets. The win has the Seahawks 9-4 and on track for a possible NFC West title, heading to this weekend’s game at NFC East-leading Washington (6-7).
“He’s playing terrific football,” Carroll said, “and maybe even to his surprise, a bit, that he’s been so active playing outside.”
Yes, the longest-tenured Seahawk has become one of the most versatile — and valuable — players on the field.
Wright began his season as he always has in Seattle, in the weakside, “Will” linebacker spot outside in Carroll’s 4-3 scheme. That’s where he won a Super Bowl and made a Pro Bowl with the Seahawks. The weakside linebacker plays off the ball. In Carroll’s scheme, when the play goes away from him the ‘Will’ linebacker shifts to basically a middle one, next to All-Pro Bobby Wagner.
As this season progressed and Jordyn Brooks returned from injury, the Seahawks wanted to get the rookie first-round draft choice’s speed onto the field. So they didn’t ask but told Wright he was moving to strongside linebacker, a more rugged place on the opposite side and on the line of scrimmage.
Wright played there briefly in 2012, his second NFL season in Seattle. But Bruce Irvin, whom Carroll says is the prototypical “Sam” linebacker for his defense, had his season end after just two games. Irvin had reconstructive knee surgery.
So Wright moved to the other side. To a new job, in the same, flannel city.
He’s had the same, fantastic results.
“He’s always loved to be behind the line of scrimmage and (more of a) inside linebacker,” Carroll said. “We started him outside (a decade ago), then moved to get him inside and behind the ball, and all.
“But, man, he’s been playing great. …
“So, I don’t know. He’s looking pretty good right now.
“I don’t know why we’d be talking about anything but playing football for about as long as he wants to.”
Versatile
Wright is sniffing out screen passes and dropping receivers for losses, as he’s been uncanny in doing for years. While more on the line of scrimmage this season, he’s been more stout against tight ends, offensive tackles and backs on running plays. He’s also joined in Carroll and coordinator Ken Norton Jr.’s blitzing linebackers and defensive backs far more than usual, to help their front four linemen affect quarterbacks.
“The position allows for him, in his freedom, to make plays in the run and the passing game, and rushing the passer at times,” Carroll said. “It suits him really well.”
Wright has again shown off his smarts and his athleticism — on the same play. He’s dropped 15, 20 yards into coverage for key pass break-ups.
His one-handed interception in the deep flat stunned quarterback Kirk Cousins and Minnesota, and changed that game in October.
The Vikings in their game planning didn’t expect Wright to be running to where wide receiver Justin Jefferson was running a deep out route on a bootleg pass to his side. But Wright read the play before Jefferson even broke outside on his pattern. His long arm and snagged interception set up a touchdown run by Chris Carson.
Wright also recovered a fumble in that game. That set up a Russell Wilson touchdown pass to DK Metcalf and Seattle’s first lead that night. Two plays by Wright, two Seahawks touchdowns in their one-point win over the Vikings.
Wright had two interceptions in eight years when he signed that most recent contract before the 2019 season. He has four interceptions in less than two full seasons since then.
He would have had a fifth, and second of this year, Sunday during Seattle’s blowout of the Jets, if he and teammate Poona Ford hadn’t knocked each other off Sam Darnold’s pass. Seahawks defensive end L.J. Collier batted the ball straight up for Wright and Ford.
“When it first happened I was like, ‘I messed Poona up!’” Wright said. “When I looked at the replay, it was kind of like we were both there at the same time, so I don’t feel as bad as I did during the game.”
The argument
Wright and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. pretty much argued about his position switch, to hear Wright tell it. But Wright went to “Sam,” more on the ball than the off-ball, weakside backer who plays more in space.
And he’s excelled.
“I’m definitely showing my versatility,” he said. “Been playing ‘Will’ my whole life. (Then) play ‘Sam’ on first and second down, then go to ‘Will’ on third down (in nickel packages with Wright and Bobby Wagner as the only linebackers). I’m making it happen,” Wright said.
He shrugged.
“It’s going good,” he said.
