K.J. Wright may have given Seahawks fans the only reason to ever root for the 49ers

12s ever pulling for an NFC West rival seems unnatural. Why would someone who likes the Seattle Seahawks suddenly turn and root for a team such as those pesky Los Angeles Rams? But cheering on the San Francisco 49ers, the team that Seattle currently has to overcome to reclaim the division crown would appear to be outright wrong.

Of course, a 12 would never (I assume and this feels like a safe assumption) pull for a team that Seattle is actually playing. This is more about ever hoping the 49ers, for instance, beat the Atlanta Falcons. Most would probably rather see San Francisco lose because they could be a win for Seattle. A loss drops San Francisco down and a win by Seattle would mean gaining a game on those evil 49ers.

But darn it if former Seahawks linebacker KJ Wright just gave 12s a reason to be OK with sometimes cheering for San Francisco. Wright announced on Monday that he has accepted a job to coach with San Fran. He will be the assistant linebackers coach and defensive quality assistant. This means Wright will be helping Seattle's rival improve, but that is not his real intent.

Former Seahawks linebacker KJ Wright will work with the San Francisco 49ers

His move has nothing to do with Seattle, of course. Wright wanted to get into coaching and the 49ers gave him that opportunity. Had the Seahawks given Wright the same chance, the hope is that he would have chosen Seattle over San Francisco.

Either way, rooting against the 49ers means pulling against KJ Wright. Again, there is no question that 12s should always hope Seattle wins and there is no second-favorite. But if San Francisco is playing against another team that a specific 12 doesn't care for then maybe Wright makes hoping San Francisco wins OK.

The former linebacker was a great player for Seattle from 2011 through 2020 and deserved to make more than the one Pro Bowl he made in 2016. He also formed one of the best LB duos in the history of the NFL with Bobby Wagner. But Wright was more than just a player.

He was the Seahawks' 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year award nominee in 2018. He worked with Seattle-area youth with organizations such as Rainer Athletes and Future Leaders. Wright helped raise money to build fresh-water wells in Kenya and he helped those in need in Haiti. He has been a better person than football player and he was a very good football player.

Maybe hoping the 49ers ever win is weird. Normally, 12s would not do that. But possibly every once in a while, KJ Wright just allowed Seahawks fans to feel somewhat OK about doing so.

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