Battling Illness, Jamarco Jones Listed as Questionable Versus Falcons

With Cedric Ogbuehi already sidelined on Sunday, Seattle could be without both of its reserve tackles, which may open the door for the team to take advantage of a new game day rule for the 2020 season.

As a late addition to the injury report, Jamarco Jones is questionable to suit up in Sunday's season opener against the Falcons, potentially leaving the Seahawks without any backup tackles available.

Limited at practice on Thursday, Jones has been dealing with an undisclosed illness. He wasn't initially listed on Seattle's final injury report on Friday and participated in the team's walkthrough session.

If Jones can't play in Week 1, the Seahawks will only have guard Jordan Simmons and center B.J. Finney available as reserves on the depth chart. Tackle Cedric Ogbuehi was ruled out on Friday with a strained pectoral muscle and didn't practice at all this week, leaving the team thin at the position.

If there's a silver lining to the situation, the NFL implemented new game day rules this season allowing teams to activate up to two practice squad players to play each week without cutting anyone from the 53-man roster. According to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, those decisions can be made up to 90 minutes before kickoff.

As a result, it's possible, if not inevitable, Seattle could activate fourth-year tackle Chad Wheeler and/or undrafted rookie Tommy Champion as insurance options behind starters Duane Brown and Brandon Shell.

Though he didn't play in any games last season, Wheeler previously started 10 games at right tackle for the Giants during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. As for Champion, the undrafted rookie out of Mississippi State has yet to play a down in the NFL.


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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.