Seattle Seahawks Navigate Injury Challenges: A Close Look at the Shifting Offensive Line
Seattle Seahawks Battle Injury Setbacks
George Fant Placed on Injured Reserve
In a recent development, the Seattle Seahawks have placed their starting right tackle, George Fant, on injured reserve. This comes as another setback for an offensive line that has been facing challenges. At 32, Fant is expected to miss at least the next four games, meaning he could potentially return by Week 7. The veteran player is currently nursing a knee injury incurred during the first quarter of the Seahawks’ season kickoff, which rendered him unable to participate in the rest of the game and the following victory over the New England Patriots.
Despite being marked as a limited participant in the week’s practices, Fant has been ruled out for the upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins.
Stone Forsythe Steps Up
The Seahawks now rely on their third-choice right tackle, Stone Forsythe, who is expected to take Fant’s place. Forsythe, a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft, placed 32nd among 60 qualifying tackles in the previous week’s pass block win rate, recording 84.6%.
Seahawks’ coach Mike Macdonald expressed his satisfaction with Forsythe’s performance, highlighting his improvement from the second half of the Denver game and the New England match. He assured fans and the team that Forsythe is ready to fill the void left by Fant.
Seahawks’ Offensive Line Struggles
The Seahawks’ offensive line currently ranks last in the league with a PBWR of 38.5%. Originally, Fant was filling the position of Abe Lucas, who remains absent due to a post-offseason knee surgery. Lucas may be able to return by Week 5, but the Seahawks are preparing for his absence until midseason.
In response, the Seahawks have signed McClendon Curtis from their practice squad to bolster their tackle depth. They have also promoted inside linebacker Patrick O’Connell and outside linebacker Tyus Bowser from their practice squad for the upcoming game. Additionally, safety Marquise Blair has been re-signed to their practice squad to fill the open spot.
Other Injury Concerns
Besides Fant, the Seahawks have also ruled out outside linebacker Uchenna Nwos. Running back Ken Walker III and inside linebacker Jerome Baker are listed as doubtful. Despite these setbacks, Coach Macdonald expressed confidence on Friday that Walker will recover from his oblique injury in time for the Monday night game against the Detroit Lions in Week 4.
