Steelers Opponent Loses Key Pass Rusher for Season

The Seattle Seahawks have lost key pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, He will have surgery on the injury, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. The Steelers travel to Seattle in late December in a clash with the Seahawks, but they will face one less potent pass rusher for the Seahawks. Seattle already was thin at edge rusher, and Nwosu’s injury knocks that down even more.

Nwosu had 9.5 sacks last season. He earned a three-year extension for his efforts as a result. The 26-year-old pass rusher out of USC is an impressive player. Without him, Seattle will turn Darrell Taylor and rookie Derick Hall to give them more reps. Of course, this could be a potential spot where an edge rusher ends up, so the Seahawks will have to be a team to pay close attention to with Nwosu now injured.

This year, Nwosu posted two sacks and a forced fumble. Opposite of him, the explosive and exciting Boye Mafe is starting to find some legs. But teams will be able to key in on him more with Nwosu out due to the pectoral injury. The Steelers will not see the Seahawks for two months, but since the matchup is in the middle of the playoff push, it’s a significant loss.

But with the Seahawks also striving to be a playoff team that lacks pass rush on the defensive side of the ball, they will likely make some addition here, whether that is a trade or free agent signing. For the Steelers, a team that lacks consistent pass rush and a dominant pass rusher spells well for them. But since these teams play so many games before then, it’s hard to project what they look like by the time that comes around.