The Seattle Seahawks have a new defensive coordinator. According to Alex Rozier of KING in Seattle, the wife of Ken Norton Jr. told him that Norton just agreed to a three-year contract with the Seahawks as the team’s defensive coordinator.
BREAKING: I just got off the phone with Ken Norton Jr’s wife who told me her husband, Ken Norton Jr, just signed a 3 year deal to be the @Seahawks Defensive Coordinator. Not sure what this means for Kris Richard. Story developing. pic.twitter.com/RhtvUJbveA
— Alex Rozier (@AlexNBCLA) January 15, 2018
Just minutes earlier, the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that a deal was coming soon.
With Kris Richard likely out, the Seahawks are expected to turn to Ken Norton Jr as defensive coordinator, sources say. All indications are he’ll be back in Seattle, where he was the team’s LB coach from 2010-14. 🤜🏾🤜🏾🤜🏾🤜🏾🤜🏾
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 15, 2018
The financial details of the contract are unknown as of the moment, but Norton’s deal with Seattle is a surprise twist to the 51-year-old former linebacker’s intriguing offseason. Just last week, the San Francisco 49ers announced Ken Norton Jr. as their assistant head coach for defense and inside linebackers coach. Apparently, that will no longer be the case with Norton leaving them for their divisional rival up north.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan already released a statement in reaction to Norton’s transfer to Seattle, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Statement from #49ers coach Kyle Shanahan on Ken Norton Jr.:
"Last week, Ken was presented with an opportunity to once again coordinate a defense. Because of how we feel about Ken as a coach, we understand and respect his desire to pursue the position.”
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) January 15, 2018
This report of Norton’s deal with the Seahawks surfaced before Seattle could even announce what will happen to Kris Richard, who has served as the team’s defensive coordinator since 2015.
This will be Norton’s second stint with the Seahawks. He was Seattle’s linebackers coach from 2010 to 2014 before becoming the Oakland Raiders’ defensive coordinator in 2015. Oakland fired him last November after a terrible 33-8 loss to the New England Patriots.
Norton has three Super Bowl wins as a player – two with the Dallas Cowboys and another one with the 49ers. He is the first player in history to win three-straight Vince Lombardi trophies, and he won another as the linebackers coach in Seattle in 2014.
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