Seahawks put Russell Wilson, Chris Carson on injured reserve. Out minimum of three games
The two most important pieces of the Seahawks offense are going to be missing from it into November.
Seattle placed quarterback Russell Wilson and lead running back Chris Carson on its injured-reserve list Friday. They will thus will miss at least three more weeks.
By putting their two key offensive leaders on injured reserve now, Seattle’s game Sunday night at Pittsburgh will count as one of the three games a player on IR must miss before possibly returning to play. That’s per league rules that have changed recently, becoming more flexible allowing for an unlimited number of players on injured reserve and later returns in a season.
Wilson and Carson will miss the Seahawks’ games against Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Jacksonville, at a minimum, before the team’s Nov. 7 bye.
Wilson had surgery seven days ago to repair a torn tendon and dislocation on the middle finger of his throwing hand. He injured it hitting his hand into the arm of Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald.
Wilson’s streak of 165 consecutive regular-season and playoff starts to begin his career ends, after 10 years. It was the sixth-longest streak of games played by a quarterback in NFL history.
Geno Smith will start Sunday night. He’s the first quarterback aside from Wilson to start for Seattle since the late Tarvaris Jackson on Jan. 1, 2012. That was Carroll’s second season overhauling the franchise. He drafted Wilson months later.
Carson hasn’t practiced in two weeks, and will miss his second consecutive game Sunday. He was out of Seattle’s home loss last week to the Rams.
Carroll has said the 27-year-old Seattle re-signed this offseason to a two-year contract worth up to $14,625,000 has an unspecified, “long-term condition” with his neck.
He participated some in a morning walk-through on Wednesday, and that day the team’s medical staff believed Carson could practice more fully Thursday.
But he didn’t practice Thursday or Friday.
“He made a really good jump over (last) weekend, and felt way better,” Carroll said. “But coming out of that, starting back to work with it (this week), there’s not enough progress made. So it’s better for us to get him back and make sure that we don’t rush him back. And so we are just going to take this time.
“It is a delicate thing, you know. Something’s going on his neck, and so we’ve got to make sure that we do it really well. We are going to take care of him.”
Carson has yet to play a full season injury free in his five NFL seasons, and going back to junior college. He is guaranteed $5.5 million this year. He stands to lose up to $1.4 million in additional incentive bonuses as he misses games.
That means Alex Collins remains the fill-in lead back, for now. Collins had 15 carries for 47 yards in last week’s game. He had just six carries for 14 yards in the second half.
Offensive coordinator and play caller Shane Waldron said Thursday he needs to be more consistent using Collins throughout a game.
“There’s times we can do a better job (using Collins) all four quarters in the game,” Waldron said.
Rashaad Penny is eligible to come off injured reserve next weekend, Saturday, Oct. 23. He could play Oct. 25 when Seattle hosts the Saints on a Monday night. The number-two running back and Seattle’s first-round draft choice in 2018 injured his calf in the team’s opening game at Indianapolis Sept. 12.
Carroll said Penny will be ready to jump right back into the offense upon his return from IR.
“I was with him (Thursday) as he was finishing his workout, and stressing exactly that that’s the goal: this week he needs to be ready to play football,” Carroll said. “And then next week is icing on the cake for us.
“He’s going to be ready to go (next week), barring any setbacks. And he’s really hungry to play and help us.”
The Seahawks activated rookie cornerback Tre Brown and offensive lineman Ethan Pocic from injured reserve, into Wilson’s and Carson’s vacated spots on the 53-man active roster.
Carroll said Brown will be able to play Sunday night in Pittsburgh. The coach didn’t say Brown necessarily would play.
It’s possible he makes his NFL debut starting at left cornerback, where Sidney Jones has not seized the job since taking it from benched and since-waived Tre Flowers two games ago. The speedy Brown is also an option for special teams, including on kickoff returns. Running back DeeJay Dallas has been doing those.
“He had a really good, solid week,” Carroll said of Brown. “He’s ready to play, and can play in the game.”
This story was originally published October 15, 2021 at 3:01 PM.
