Seahawks vs. Rams Injury Report: Jordyn Brooks IN, Devon Witherspoon Questionable
Capping off a remarkable recovery from a torn ACL, the Seattle Seahawks will have fourth-year linebacker Jordyn Brooks back in the lineup for their season opener against the Rams on Sunday.
Suffering the injury on New Years Day against the Jets, Brooks underwent surgery on January 19, putting him up against the clock to be able to return in time for the start of the 2023 season. However, the athletic linebacker stayed well ahead of schedule throughout the process, starting to run as early as May and returning to practice in mid-August from the PUP list.
After starting off participating only in walkthroughs, Brooks progressed to full practices earlier this month and hasn't had any setbacks, paving the way for him to play significant snaps in Week 1. As for how much he will play, both coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt told reporters they have had those conversations with the defender, but they aren't entering Sunday with a set snap count.
"We'll see how it goes. You're going to see how it goes and watch how the game takes place. It just depends on the load that he takes," Carroll said prior to Wednesday's practice. "There may be some long drives or whatever. We’ve just got to try and be really smart. We’ve got to do this just on feel. He doesn't want to come out. He doesn't want to come out at all. I'm maybe dragging an attack on myself.”
Away from Brooks, rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba also wasn't included on Seattle's final injury report only three weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured bone in his left wrist. The first-round pick out of Ohio State started practicing only one week after the procedure and has been a full participant all week, eliminating any doubt about his availability to make his NFL debut against the Rams.
With Smith-Njigba healthy and ready to roll and Cody Thompson also off the injury report after nursing a shoulder injury, the Seahawks will have their full complement of receiving weapons available for quarterback Geno Smith.
"It's been a remarkable mentality that he's brought to it and it's better than most guys that you see," Carroll said of Smith-Njigba, indicating on Wednesday that Seattle expected him to play. "And he's not hesitating to do everything throughout the game plan and the preparation and all of that.”
Running back Ken Walker III, who was limited on Thursday due to a groin injury he has been dealing with since early in training camp, wasn't on Seattle's final injury report and will start against the Rams. Rookie defensive tackles Mike Morris (shoulder) and Cameron Young (calf) will also play after missing the final two preseason games last month, providing much-needed depth up front defensively.
Off the edge, the Seahawks will have their complete arsenal of pass rushers ready to chase down Matthew Stafford off the edge after Darrell Taylor and Derick Hall returned to practice this week and weren't listed on the final report. Taylor had been out since August 3 with a shoulder sprain, while Hall injured his shoulder in the exhibition finale at Green Bay and has been limited the past two weeks in practice.
"It feels good to have those guys," Carroll said. "We've been counting on them all along and then you go without for a while, so it's a nice boost to get them back out. Everybody held through, made it no problem, so we're ready to go."
While Walker, Morris, Taylor, and others will dress on Sunday, the status of top-five pick Devon Witherspoon remains uncertain as he tries to come back from a hamstring injury that cost him the entire preseason. He was limited in practice throughout the week and Carroll indirectly called him a game time decision after Friday's session.
"He did a nice job getting through it, the work that he needed," Carroll said of Witherspoon's practice week. "A lot of turns, but measured the whole time. We feel he could possibly play, we got him as questionable and we'll see what happens with that. But we got to do long-term thinking taking care of our guys as much as we possibly can."
Additionally, guard Damien Lewis, who cropped up on the injury report mid-week with a shoulder issue, also received a questionable designation. But he was a full participant in Friday's practice and Carroll confirmed he would start at left guard against the Rams, as the team was just being cautious giving him a day off after banging the shoulder in practice earlier in the week.
As expected, Seattle will not have veteran safety Jamal Adams or rookie running back Kenny McIntosh on Sunday, with both players already unofficially being ruled out last week.
Carroll hopes Adams, who participated in walkthroughs this week, will be able to progress into individual and team work at practice next week as he draws closer to returning from a torn quad tendon. As for McIntosh, while he's making strides coming back from a sprained knee suffered in the Seahawks' mock game last month, he isn't quite ready to be able to play and could start practicing as early as next week.
