Seattle Seahawks Hopeful Abraham Lucas Will Return to Practice Soon

Sidelined since the season opener with a knee issue, the Seattle Seahawks could have much needed offensive line help coming soon in the form of Abraham Lucas.

Looking for any positive news after taking a 37-3 beating at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks may finally have starting right tackle Abraham Lucas back in the lineup in the near future.

According to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Lucas, who has been on injured reserve since early September with a knee issue that required an injection, has a good chance to return to the practice field next week. He also didn't rule out the possibility he could practice as early as this week, though that may be pushing it.

"Looks like Abe's going to be back at practice next week. That's what we're looking at," Carroll said on Monday. "He's really close right now and there's still some question on whether we can get him out there this week or not, but it seems like next week for sure we'll get him out there, if not sooner."

Without Lucas, Seattle initially turned to Jake Curhan as his replacement, only for the third-year tackle to tweak his ankle in a Week 6 loss to Cincinnati. Stone Forsythe has started each of the past three games, while 41-year old veteran Jason Peters rotated in for a handful of series against Cleveland and Baltimore in the previous two contests after being elevated from the practice squad.

Out for nearly two months with a balky knee, the Seahawks finally received good news on Abraham Lucas, who could be back in uniform in the next few weeks / © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Since Lucas has been sidelined for two months, the Seahawks may need a week or two to fully get back up to speed before activating him to the 53-man roster and he will have a 21-day window open once he returns to practice. Carroll didn't disclose what that timeline may look like, but given the team's struggles protecting Geno Smith in Baltimore, the process could potentially be expedited out of necessity.

According to Pro Football Focus, Forsythe and Peters allowed seven total pressures against the Ravens and posted dismal pass blocking efficiency rates below 90 percent. While they performed better against the Browns one week earlier, both still struggled at times in that narrow win at Lumen Field and aren't the answer beyond spot starts.

Getting Lucas, who started 16 out of 17 regular season games last season as a rookie, back in the mix would be a huge boost for Seattle offensive line that has battled injuries at every position. Along with the former Washington State standout missing seven games so far, fellow tackle Charles Cross missed three games with a toe sprain, guard Phil Haynes has sat out three games with a calf issue, and both guard Damien Lewis and center Evan Brown have missed a game apiece.

With the schedule set to get much more difficult later this month with the first of two matchups against the 49ers in a three-week span sandwiched around a road game against the Cowboys, the Seahawks will be hoping for a cleaner bill of health in the trenches to help jumpstart a struggling offense by providing improved protection for Smith and better blocking for Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.