Latest on status of Devon Witherspoon, Jordyn Brooks, Jamal Adams for Seahawks-Steelers
The Seahawks are crossing fingers they might get a key force back in the middle of their defense this week.
But it appears another important man there might miss Seattle’s latest must-win game, Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lumen Field (1:05 p.m., Channel 13).
Devon Witherspoon was running Tuesday to test his hip pointer, coach Pete Carroll said on his weekly radio show on KIRO-AM. That injury has sidelined the starting left cornerback and nickel back the last two games.
“This is the (players’) day off here, and he’s running today. That’s a really good sign,” Carroll said Tuesday.
Carroll said his NFL defensive rookie of the month for October “tried really hard” to play last weekend in Seattle’s comeback win at Tennessee. Witherspoon did some drills early Sunday morning, hours before kickoff. He couldn’t get his hip loosened enough to go against the Titans, so the Seahawks made him inactive again for the game.
“Let’s all keep our fingers crossed,” Carroll said. “Just want to see the guy play football more.”
Artie Burns against the pass and reserve linebacker Devin Bush when the Seahawks thought the Titans would run played nickel at Tennessee with Witherspoon out.
Jordyn Brooks’ injury
Tennessee rushed for 162 yards on Seattle last weekend.
A reason for that: Jordyn Brooks missed three-fourths of the game. The inside linebacker sprained his ankle in the first quarter.
“The ankle was sore. There’s a question there,” Carroll said Tuesday. “It’s going to be hard to get him back.”
Bush replaced Brooks next to Bobby Wagner in the middle of the Seahawks’ defense. Bush, a former Steelers first-round draft choice, would likely start against his former team if Brooks can’t play Sunday.
Brooks has excelled at run defense and in open fields as a pass defender in his speedy return this season from reconstructive knee surgery in January.
Not having Brooks for the next-to-last game of the regular season Seattle must win to keep the playoff spot it now holds in the NFC would be a sizable hole. Pittsburgh will undoubtedly challenge the Seahawks’ defense with its running game Sunday.
Jamal Adams’ status
Three-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams was not with the team for the second consecutive game last weekend. He’s missed the last two weeks of practices and games trying to get his pained knee better.
Carroll said Tuesday Adams will test the knee this week to see if he can play against the Steelers, or in the regular-season finale next weekend at Arizona.
“Jamal wants to try to ... he’s going to see where he is,” Carroll said. “He’s had some rest now. He may be able to bounce (back) this week. We’ll going to find out.
“I don’t know the answer to that yet.”
Carroll said last week the team has considered shutting down Adams for the remainder of the season.
With Adams out and away from the team, Julian Love has excelled the last two games as the full-time safety next to veteran Quandre Diggs. Love was the NFC defensive player of the week last week following his two interceptions of Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter that sealed Seattle’s win over the Eagles. That victory ended the Seahawks’ four-game losing streak and revived their season.
Last weekend, Love stayed back in Seattle from Tennessee a day longer than the team for his wife Julia birthing their first child. Son Noah was born Friday afternoon. Love rejoined the Seahawks in Nashville Saturday evening. He started against the Titans the next morning into early afternoon.
Love had another standout game with three tackles, and a pass defensed on a third down at midfield when his violent hit knocked Titans receiver Chris Moore from the game.
Adams could perhaps play the “big nickel,” role as an extra linebacker inside, as Bush did in Tennessee. That is, if Bush has to play for Brooks against the Steelers — and if Adams can run well enough with his knee issue.
Doctors have told Adams his knee is unlikely to be close to fully healing until the summer of 2024. That was the residual effect of the surgery he had for the torn quadriceps tendon Adams got blitzing Russell Wilson in the first half of Seattle’s 2022 season opener 15 months ago.
This story was originally published December 26, 2023 at 10:51 AM.
