K.J. Wright does things the Seahawks way – the right way
With all the angst over contracts, it’s a good time to point out one Seahawks player who’s still on the job. Actually, K.J. Wright is going far beyond that.
Sorry I can’t bring you the news that Earl Thomas stopped his contract holdout. It may be a few months before we can write that story. But that’s okay, because we have a great story about another Seahawks player whose contract is up after 2018. Not only did K.J. Wright come to work every day this offseason, he went above and beyond in his role as a leader for Seattle.
Wright may not be the high-profile player that Thomas is, or quite as valuable as his linebacker stablemate Bobby Wagner, but he’s close. Over his seven years in Seattle, Wright has averaged just under 70 solo tackles and 38 assists per 16 games. Throw in about 4.5 pass defenses and 2 sacks, and you have one outstanding player. His current contract totals $27 million. That certainly isn’t chump change, but guys like Nigel Bradham and Jamie Collins are making $40 and $50 million, respectively. And with all due respect, they aren’t nearly as good as Wright.
K.J. Wright could have taken the same route as Earl Thomas. For the record, I don’t blame Thomas for holding out. I know a lot of 12s do, and that’s certainly their right. As I see it, the NFL is a business above all else, and players need to do what they can to secure their future. Which makes what K.J. Wright is doing all the more remarkable.
Seahawks have a true winner in Wright
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Wright makes it clear that he understands that the NFL is a business. He wants a contract extension as much as Earl Thomas does, yet there he was at the VMAC every day. And Wright wasn’t just going though his drills. He was coaching up the player who may very well replace him on the Seahawks one day.
As John Boyle reported on seahawks.com, Wright took Shaquem Griffin under his wing in the most generous way possible. Listen to what Wright had to say when asked if it was awkward mentoring the kid who could one day replace him:
"“Not at all. It’s my job to give everything that I have in me. … I’m going to share everything that I got. It’s the circle of life because if no one taught me, I wouldn’t be in the position that I am. It’s not a competition where I’m not going to share anything, because I’ll be fine. Even if something were to happen, my career would still be OK.”"
K.J. Wright is in it for his teammates and the 12s
That certainly sounds like a leader to me. When Bobby Wagner heard this, he apparently felt compelled to hail Wright with a call out of “Lion King!” Or maybe it’s just Bobby’s favorite movie; who knows? Wright had more to say about his rookie understudy:
"“I love it, man. He’s a rookie. He sits right beside me in the meeting room and he wants to learn. He’s very excited to get going. I was going over film (with him) this morning, just watching technique, how you should play, ‘Don’t line up right here, line up right here, even though the coach say so, just trust me on this.’ So it’ll be good. It’s fun working with him.”"
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K.J. Wright is truly going above and beyond for Seattle. You’d hope the front office remembers that and rewards him accordingly. Unfortunately, the bottom line is always dollars. If the Seahawks believe that Shaquem Griffin – or anyone else – can adequately replace him for less money, K.J. Wright will be packing his bags for a new team. One thing is certain. He’ll never get the love from his new fans that he’s earned from the 12s for all he’s done and continues to do for the Seahawks.