These struggling Seahawks just can’t complete any kind of drives this season without encountering problems.
Renton police Cmdr. David Leibman told The News Tribune on Tuesday night that TMZ’s attention-grabbing report, off a tip, that Fred Jackson had crashed his sports car into a stop sign just outside Seahawks headquarters after drag racing with teammate Marshawn Lynch was not true.
Leibman said the responding officer determined Jackson’s crash of his black, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette into a stop sign down a two-lane street that leads to and from the team’s Renton facility, following Tuesday’s practice, was “a one-car accident with minor damage — certainly repairable — and no injuries.”
“I know there was a report of drag racing. We didn’t find any indication of that. That is false,”Leibman said.
“He (Jackson) said he was fine. He looked fine. Some people arrived from the VMAC (the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, team headquarters) and took him back there.”
So, for now, the assumption is Jackson can play Thursday at San Francisco.
Leibman said the arriving officer “didn’t see anything to indicate impairment.” The crash happened soon after the Seahawks completed practice at the VMAC on Tuesday
Leibman said if there is any subsequent action by Renton police it would likely be a “minor” citation for Jackson for inattention to driving. He said police have not yet determined how fast Jackson may have been driving.
No one contacted by The News Tribune, with the team or police department, said anything about Lynch being involved.
Jackson tweeted Tuesday evening that he lost control of his vehicle, that Lynch was among the teammates who stopped to check on him, and that no one was drag racing him.
“Thanks 2 everyone worried about me. I lost control of my car. My teammates, including Marshawn, stopped 2 check on me. They weren’t racin me,” Jackson tweeted on @Fred22Jackson.
Teammate Cliff Avril went on Twitter to call the TMZ report that Lynch was involved a “lie.”
A tow truck eventually took away the 34-year-old Jackson’s car, with has New York plates.
The Seahawks signed him in August after Buffalo released Lynch’s good friend. The two shared the lead running role for the Bills in 2009 into 2010 before Lynch’s trade to Seattle, and Lynch lobbied the Seahawks to sign Jackson immediately after Buffalo released him this summer.
It was the second car crash for a member of the Seahawks’ backfield in six days. Earlier on Tuesday, the team reinstated fullback Derrick Coleman from the suspended list after he was jailed from Thursday into Friday following a two-car crash in Bellevue last Wednesday.
Coleman is under investigation for felony vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run, a decision that rests with the King County prosecutor’s office.
Team doctors couldn’t examine Coleman while he was suspended. They found a concussion. That is why Coleman didn’t practice Tuesday.
JEANPIERRE COMES BACK
With new starter Patrick Lewis hurting and a former one, Drew Nowak, benched, the Seahawks re-signed veteran free-agent center Lemuel Jeanpierre.
The team had released Max Unger’s backup of the previous five seasons at the end of this preseason. That was the Seahawks choosing Nowak and Lewis over him.
The other transactions Tuesday: The Seahawks released cornerback Crezdon Butler, signed last week, and placed reserve linebacker Brock Coyle on injured reserve with the designation to return to play after eight weeks.
Jeanpierre was on the field for Tuesday’s practice.
“We have Lem back now, so that’s good too, as well, in terms of experience and versatility,” quarterback Russell Wilson said.
Lewis, acquired off waivers in August 2014 from Green Bay and again off Cleveland’s practice squad last fall before starting four games last season, had MRI exams this week on his ankle and knee. He hurt those while making his first start of the season last weekend in the loss to Carolina.
Nowak, a college defensive tackle and 2014 practice-squad guard, made his first five NFL starts to begin this season.
The Seahawks’ offensive line has been a problem since the Rams swarmed it in the opener at St. Louis last month. It has allowed 26 sacks in six games, the most in the NFL, and has been sporadic in opening rushing lanes consistently. A contributing reason why Seattle (2-4) has blown two-score leads in the fourth quarters of the last two games has been the offense failing to get the first downs it needed to sustain drives, protect those leads late and likely win both games. Seattle had 15 net yards on the two drives after taking a 23-14 lead on Carolina last weekend. In that same span the Panthers scored two touchdowns to win.
Communication has been an issue all season, with the protection calls not always correct or timely or correctly disseminated by the center. No center short of Unger, now in New Orleans in the trade for tight end Jimmy Graham, knows line coach Tom Cable’s system and calls better than Jeanpierre. He started 11 games as Unger’s fill-in from 2011-14.
Jeanpierre may not be ready to play Thursday. Lewis may not be, either. So it could be Nowak by default against the 49ers.
EXTRA POINTS
Cornerback Richard Sherman, shown in photos on TMZ coming to Jackson’s aid after his crash, did not practice with a newly listed ankle injury. … Lewis didn’t practice because of the ankle he injured in last weekend’s loss to Carolina. … Right tackle Garry Gilliam (ankle) was limited after missing practice Monday. … Defensive back Marcus Burley returned to practice for the first time since having surgery two weeks ago on his broken thumb, and was a full participant. Burley was playing well at nickel back before he got hurt, and San Francisco is throwing deep more this season with long-ball WR Torrey Smith.
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