Category Archives: Injury report

Injury report, Week 16: Arizona

2017 season already off to bad start

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Seahawks bandagesIt has been a long time since the Seahawks started a season at full strength. They won’t do it in 2017 either.

Tyler Lockett will require up to nine months to come back from a gruesome broken leg, which means he might end up on PUP to start the season. For the second time in three years, Earl Thomas also will be coming off a serious injury (also a broken leg) and trying to find his playing confidence as the 2017 season starts.

Pete Carroll told reporters he expects Lockett back for 2017 camp; but, even if he does make it, he will be brought along slowly – making it the third straight year the Hawks will start at less than full strength.

The Seahawks have gone through the same thing for most of the last four years. In 2013, it was Chris Clemons (ACL) and Percy Harvin (hip). In 2015, it was Thomas (shoulder), Jeremy Lane (arm and ACL) and Paul Richardson (ACL). This year, it was Jimmy Graham (patellar tendon) and Thomas Rawls (broken ankle).

On top of that, Rawls’ durability is a major question after a broken ankle, broken leg and now a shoulder problem. He’s a tough runner, but he batters his body too much and seems destined to never play a full season. With C.J. Prosise even more NFL-fragile, the Hawks will have to address running back in the offseason.

Alex Collins ran well in the second half vs. Arizona – his best look since the preseason. But the Hawks, who have given the ball to 10 running backs this season, almost surely will add more backs in 2017.

Injury report, Week 13: Carolina

Of course Earl Thomas will be back

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logo-carolinaDon’t believe an emotional tweet: Earl Thomas is not going to retire.

The 27-year-old All-Pro safety was just upset about the broken leg that ended his season.

“When you get injured, it becomes very emotional,” said Kam Chancellor, who provided the friendly fire that sidelined Thomas during Seattle’s 40-7 win over Carolina. “Sometimes you say things you might not mean. Sometimes you say things you might mean. It’s one of those things you just have to let him sit back and breathe, let him sit back and go through his process.”

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Injury report, State of the team, Week 12: At Tampa Bay

Hawks’ full depth will be tested this week

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logo-tampa-bayThe Seahawks’ overall depth this year has been considered the best since 2013, when they won the Super Bowl.

They have had to dip into those reserves here and there throughout the season — especially covering for Thomas Rawls, Kam Chancellor, Michael Bennett and Luke Willson.

But this week, as the Hawks try to stay on the heels of the Dallas Cowboys with a win in Tampa, the depth is being tested at every level.

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Injury report, State of the team, Week 11: Philadelphia

Hawks looking thin in backfields for Tampa

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Seahawks bandagesThe Seahawks have weathered a few injuries to key players — Russell Wilson, Kam Chancellor and Michael Bennett, especially — this season, but they have yet to endure the kind of bloodbath they took in their 26-15 win over Philly on Sunday.

No fewer than 10 players left the game with various ailments, and the Hawks are looking at playing without at least four key guys next Sunday in Tampa Bay.

The biggest concerns this week are Legion of Boomers Earl Thomas and DeShawn Shead, plus the running back position.

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Injury report, State of the team

‘How could you think’ Wilson will miss a game?

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Seahawks bandagesIf you think Russell Wilson is going to miss a game with his sprained ankle, you underestimate his moxie, his toughness, his drive, his resilience.

Remember, this is a guy who has never missed a practice or a meaningful play.

As Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN on Monday, “He will make it through. How could you think otherwise?”

Wilson himself tweeted out, “See you in L.A.”

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Injury report, State of the team

Curse of first-round linemen continues

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Seahawks bandagesIt’s no wonder John Schneider and Pete Carroll had developed an aversion toward drafting offensive linemen in the first round: They always get hurt.

After going back-to-back with first-round linemen in 2010-11, it took them five years to try again. Now it might be another five years before they do it again.

We can only hope Germain Ifedi’s high ankle sprain, which is expected to sideline him for at least three weeks, will not send him down the same injury path traveled by Russell Okung and James Carpenter.

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Injury report, Training camp

Skill positions have been hamstrung

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Seahawks bandagesThe Seahawks have been hit hard with injuries at the skill positions early in camp — so hard that Pete Carroll quipped Sunday, “We’ve got a bunch of hamstrings on the receivers. They all have two.”

**Bass drum, cymbal crash**

Minor injuries early in camp are pretty common — and not a big concern as long as the team handles them with patience. But, when the injuries stack up at one position, it can cause a domino effect as other players become overworked.

That is what the Seahawks have been trying to avoid through the first 10 days of camp as they have lost five receivers, three tight ends, three running backs and two fullbacks.

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Injury report, State of the team

Odds against Graham? Not on this team

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Jimmy Graham catches a pass on Day 4 (Seahawks via Twitter)The future of Jimmy Graham is a hot topic — not just his future with the Seahawks, but the mere prospect of him playing in the NFL for much longer.

Pete Carroll does not seem concerned, but a recent report by ESPN.com reiterated the severity of a torn patellar tendon — the injury Graham suffered in late November — and questioned whether the tight end will be able to make it back.

ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell cited a recent study saying players with TPTs “fared the worst when it comes to rate of return to play and performance metrics like yards gained and touchdowns scored. And their careers were shortened overall significantly. It’s not to say that one individual can’t come back and be phenomenal, but it’s telling you that the odds are against them in terms of returning to form.”

Of course, the Seahawks are all about bucking the odds, and there are reasons to believe Graham will overcome the injury better than previous players.

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Injury report, State of the team

Hawks likely will take their time with Graham

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Graham out for season“It’s too early to tell” when Jimmy Graham will return from his torn patellar tendon, but we already know a few things: (1) The Seahawks are not going to get rid of the high-paid tight end this year; (2) they are probably going to take their time with his recovery; (3) he should be able to return to his previous standard of performance.

At the Combine on Wednesday, John Schneider said there is no timetable for the return of Graham, who is “doing great” while rehabbing in Miami.

“Obviously it was a devastating injury for us at the time,” Schneider said, “but he’s a great guy, got a great attitude about it, and he’s ready to get after it.”

Schneider said last month that Graham will be back with the Hawks — despite the wishes of some fans (in a Seattle Times poll, about 20 percent thought Graham would not be back).

The Seahawks’ MO always has been to let injured players recover, without altering their contracts, and then see how they perform the next season, so there was never any doubt Graham would be back. The question was and still is: When?

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Injury report, State of the team, Week 17: At Arizona

Will battered Hawks be up for challenge?

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Seahawks bandagesIt turns out this big Seattle-Arizona clash might not be a very good gauge of where the Seahawks stand vs. the Cardinals, who are Seattle’s biggest hurdle to reaching the Super Bowl.

Half of Seattle’s key offensive players won’t be in the game, with J.R. Sweezy and Luke Willson (concussions) ruled out Friday — joining Marshawn Lynch, Jimmy Graham, Thomas Rawls, Paul Richardson and probably Russell Okung. That means the Hawks are down to second- or third-stringers at four positions.

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