Uchenna Nwosu spent the first three seasons with the Chargers in a rotational role behind Melvin Ingram.
Despite averaging just 35% of defensive snaps in 45 games, Nwosu still managed to make the most of his playing time – totaling ten sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 59 quarterback pressures, and 44 hurries.
Entering his fourth season, there were high expectations for Nwosu as the starter opposite Joey Bosa, knowing what Brandon Staley could possibly do with him when factoring in the breakout year of Leonard Floyd he contributed to a season ago.
While he showed flashes, Nwosu did not do anything to raise eyebrows. However, that was until the Week 13 win over the Bengals when the defense posted a season-high six sacks and four turnovers.
With Bosa sidelined with a head injury early on, Nwosu stole the spotlight. He finished with seven pressures, two sacks, a strip-sack which he recovered, and two quarterback hits.
Through 12 games, Nwosu has already topped his pressures (25), hurries (11), and is a sack away from his career-high in a single season (5).
Like Kyzir White, Nwosu is auditioning for a new deal. However, his play as of late is justifying that he’s worthy of garnering an extension, and now he will have to maintain that consistency the rest of the way out for it to come to fruition.
“I was talking to Brandon [Staley] back in OTAs, and he was telling me, ‘You can play in this system. You can do it. I believe in you.’ It’s all starting to come to fruition. I’m starting to trust the process more now, getting into a rhythm. Hopefully, we can keep this thing going,” Nwosu said.