Seahawks activate J.D. McKissic, further marginalizing C.J. Prosise; where’s K.J. Wright?
J.D. McKissic is back. And C.J. Prosise apparently slides farther out of the Seahawks’ plans.
Seattle activated McKissic to the roster on Wednesday. The running back and former wide receiver is the team’s first player this season to be on injured reserve designated to return. Each NFL team can have up to two such players each season.
McKissic hasn’t played since he broke a bone in his foot in mid-August.
Coach Pete Carroll said the plan is for the third-down, receiving back to play Sunday at home against the San Francisco 49ers (2-9).
“J.D.’s coming back, yup. We’re going to hopefully get him through the week and if everything works out right, then we would like to have him participate this week,” Carroll said Wednesday.
Asked about how the third-down back will be involved in Seattle running-back rotation already loaded with starter Chris Carson, rookie first-round draft choice Rashaad Penny and Mike Davis, Carroll said, “I think we’ll wait and see on that one.”
We don’t have to.
Prosise has been a healthy inactive for six games this season, including last weekend’s win at Carolina. For all Prosise’s talent and potential to be a dynamic receiver out of the backfield, Seattle’s coaches can’t trust their third-round pick from 2016 to stay healthy if they use him much at all. The former wide receiver and running back at Notre Dame has played only 16 of 43 games since he entered the league with the Seahawks in 2016, because of seven different injuries through this August and now just standing and watching.
While he’s been watching in sweats most weeks, Carson, Penny and Davis have each rushed for 100 yards in a game this season. Seattle is the only team with three 100-yard backs this year.
Davis has recently been the de facto third-down back, while Prosise has been inactive the last two games. Now McKissic can take that role. He’s a more natural pass catcher, a wide receiver for Atlanta before the Seahawks claimed him off waivers in December 2016.
And Prosise can fall further out of favor.
To create roster space for McKissic Wednesday, the Seahawks waived wide receiver Keenan Reynolds.
The Seahawks promoted the former Navy quarterback last weekend from their practice squad, when they weren’t sure if Doug Baldwin would play at Carolina.
Carroll said Wednesday Baldwin is feeling “really good” after playing all but six plays of the win at Carolina after he pulled his groin in practice five days before that game.
Wright away
Carroll said Pro Bowl outside linebacker K.J. Wright is away from the team this week getting unspecified “special” treatment on his left knee still paining him after surgery on it in late August.
Wright will miss his ninth of 12 games this season on Sunday.
Austin Calitro is likely to again be the weakside linebacker in base defense. Mychal Kendricks started two games there early this season before an NFL suspension for insider trading. He is eligible to play again next week, for the Dec. 10 home game against Minnesota.
New McDougald injury
The only new injury to the team’s first practice report since the Carolina game is a shoulder one for starting strong safety Bradley McDougald. He missed practice.
McDougald has been one of the defense’s most consistent players, and is key to Seattle reversing its recent woes in stopping the run.
