Seahawks have major injury issues in secondary, on offensive line for Sunday at Atlanta

From the defensive secondary to the edge of the offensive line, the Seahawks have challenges beyond the norm this weekend in Atlanta.

Seattle’s injury report for its game Sunday at NFC South-leading Atlanta (4-2) has cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Tre Brown out. They have ankle injuries. Coach Mike Macdonald said Friday the team hopes to have Woolen and Brown back next week when the Seahawks (3-3) host the Buffalo Bills.

Stone Forsythe, the third-stringer who has been starting at right tackle, is out for the Atlanta game. He has an injured hand.

The injuries in the secondary mean practice-squad cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Falon Hicks will be in uniform Sunday. One, perhaps Jobe, is likely to start against quarterback Kirk Cousins, top wide receiver Drake London and the recently hot Falcons offense.

Jobe, a third-year veteran from Alabama, started three games last season for the Philadelphia Eagles. He signed to Seattle’s practice squad Aug. 29.

Hicks was a seventh-round pick by Denver in 2022, out of Wisconsin. He played 30 snaps in two games with the Broncos that rookie season. Those are his only NFL games.

Starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins was already out, for the next four games. He’d played every defensive snap through six games for the Seahawks (3-3), until he went on injured reserve this week with an apparently fractured hand.

Coby Bryant is in line to make his first start since week two of the 2023 season, at safety Sunday. He could be the nickel when Seattle goes to five defensive backs. That would keep 2023 Pro Bowl selection Devon Witherspoon outside at cornerback.

Macdonald said Friday Witherspoon will play some nickel in Atlanta.

“If ‘Spoon’s not at nickel then you will see other guys you might not have seen, but have been repping there (in practices this week),” Macdonald said following practice, before the team flew to Georgia Friday afternoon. “We’ve leave the combinations (to we’ll) let them figure that out at this point.

“But, yeah, ‘Spoon will play nickel at some point. Other guys will play nickel, as well. But they’ve all gotten those reps. So we should be ready to go.”

The issue at who plays nickel becomes more important given Atlanta’s top receiver, Drake London, plays inside in the slot 39% of the time in the Falcons’s primary, three wide-receiver formations.

Playing Witherspoon inside as nickel opposite London would expose Seattle’s flanks with two practice-squad players and potentially rookie fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett as the outside cornerbacks.

It’s all sub-optimal for Seattle’s attempt to end its three-game losing streak, and Atlanta’s three-game winning streak.

Geno Smith and the Seahawks’ offense is likely going to have to out-score Atlanta to win.

That is, if they can find the right combination of fill-in linemen to block the Falcons’ pass rush that’s been ranked at the bottom of the league so far this season.

Right tackle situation

Forsythe’s 35 pressures allowed are the most by an offensive linemen in the NFL through six weeks.

His injury means rookie Mike Jerrell will not only play in his first NFL game, the former Division-II standout at Findlay in Ohio is going to start Sunday against pass rusher Grady Jarrett and the Falcons.

Macdonald said that Friday.

The Seahawks could have elevated nine-time Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters from their practice squad to play Sunday. The 42-year-old former Super Bowl champion with Philadelphia has signed onto Seattle’s practice squad Oct. 1. He said then he needed about two weeks to get in playing shape.

It’s been 17 days.

“He’s in shape to do it. He’s practicing well,” Macdonald said this week of Peters. “He’s talking it up with all the guys. Love what he’s bringing to the table right now.

“But, if and when, he’d be ready to go.”

But the NFL’s roster rules likely are why Peters won’t play and Jerrell will start Sunday. Each team can only elevate a maximim of two players from the practice squad to the active roster to play in a game, up to three times per player per season. Macdonald saying Jobe and Hicks would be up from the practice squad for the game means Seattle doesn’t have another practice-squad elevation to use for Peters to play Sunday.

The Seahawks’ backup to the backup to the backup to the backup offensive tackle at Atlanta likely to be undrafted rookie Jalen Sundell and rookie guard Sataoa Laumea. Laumea, the sixth-round pick, played tackle at the University of Utah.

Whoever starts in Atlanta will be the Seahawks’ Plan D at right tackle.

Starting right tackle Abe Lucas still out indefinitely. Lucas remains on the physically-unable-to-perform list. He hasn’t practiced or played since January. He had knee surgery last winter. Macdonald has said the team has an internal timeline on Lucas, but he’s not sharing it.

Ninth-year veteran George Fant signed this offseason to be the swing, backup tackle. He started for Lucas in the opener Sept. 8 against Denver. Thirteen plays into that game he injured his knee. He remains on injured reserve, with no timetable on his return.