DK Metcalf misses his 1st career game. 3 other Seahawks starters out vs. Arizona
For the first time since they traded up to draft him four years ago, the Seahawks do not have DK Metcalf.
The team made its star wide receiver inactive before Seattle’s game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field Sunday. He had been questionable to play because of a hip injury on top of sore ribs.
Metcalf injured his hip in the first half of the Seahawks’ loss at Cincinnati last weekend. He jogged from the field into the locker room with a team doctor. He returned to the field a few moments later and finished the game. He had four catches on 10 targets — plus another personal foul for which the NFL fined him $16,391 on Saturday.
Metcalf missed the first game of his career, after 71 consecutive regular-season games and four more playoff starts since 2019. He spent pregame warmups mostly expressionless standing in the middle of the field wearing a team hoodie under his number 14 jersey. He had an old-school Seahawks cap on backwards watching teammates catch passes around him.
The Seahawks hope to have him back next week when they host the Cleveland Browns.
Metcalf practiced on a limited basis Friday. It was his only time on the field this past week. He was not on Lumen Field Sunday morning during early pregame work the receivers do with quarterbacks Geno Smith and Drew Lock.
Rookie first-round draft pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the second receiver behind Tyler Lockett and undrafted rookie Jake Bobo figured to move up in status and use with Metcalf out.
Smith-Njigba was coming off the most productive game of his short career. He was likely to play more than the season-high 53 snaps he had in Seattle’s offense against Cincinnati the previous game.
Bobo’s role increased last week for the Seahawks against the Bengals. He was the lead blocker on Seattle’s only touchdown in Cincinnati, Kenneth Walker’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
The former UCLA Bruin and Duke Blue Devil who starred for Seattle this preseason entered the Arizona game Sunday with a career high in confidence.
“I think experience just in general, whether it’s on the field, during the week, just kind of getting in a groove helps me a ton,” Bobo said this past week. “I think being able to contribute — whether it’s in the pass game, in the run game — has definitely boosted my confidence a little bit to where I can get more comfortable, and kind of see myself making some plays on Sundays.
“That definitely helps mentally, for sure.”
Offensive line again in flux
Starting center Evan Brown and starting right guard Phil Haynes were also out injured Sunday.
Rookie fifth-round pick Olu Oluwatimi was set to make his first career start, at center. Seattle promoted center Joey Hunt from its practice squad Saturday to back up Oluwatimi.
Rookie Anthony Bradford was ready for his third start in for games for Haynes at right guard.
Right tackle Abe Lucas remained on injured reserve. Jake Curhan was coming off an ankle injury. So it was Stone Forsythe at right tackle Lucas and Curhan to begin the game Sunday. Forsythe started three games at left tackle into this month, when Charles Cross was out with a sprained toe.
Cross made his second consecutive start Sunday in his return from that injury.
Running back Zach Charbonnet was also inactive. He injured his hamstring in Cincinnati. That made veteran DeeJay Dallas the second back behind Walker. The Seahawks promoted rookie running back SaRodorick Thompson from the practice squad Saturday in anticipation of Charbonnet being out.
Seattle’s other inactive players Sunday: recently injured defensive back Artie Burns, healthy-scratch linebacker Devin Bush and reserve offensive lineman Raiqwon O’Neal.
This story was originally published October 22, 2023 at 11:40 AM.
