Seahawks Entering Uncharted Waters Without Tyler Lockett

One of the NFL's most durable receivers, the Seattle Seahawks have never had to worry about playing multiple games without Tyler Lockett. But as they battle for their playoff lives with three games left to play, that fear has become a reality.

RENTON, Wash. - Since coming into the league as an unheralded third round pick out of Kansas State in 2015, Tyler Lockett has been a pillar of excellence and reliability for the Seahawks on and off the field.

Between the lines, few receivers have been more productive than Lockett, who evolved from a secondary target and special teams ace in the early stages of his career into a bona fide toe-tapping, pirouetting superstar. Since supplanting Doug Baldwin as the team's No. 1 receiver in 2019, he ranks seventh in the NFL in receptions and receiving yards, eighth in receiving touchdowns, and second in catch rate among receivers with at least 4,000 yards behind only Rams star Cooper Kupp.

Lockett's value goes well beyond his accomplishments wearing a helmet and shoulder pads. While generally quiet and reserved, he's a key leader in Seattle's locker room and in the community, earning himself back-to-back nominations for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award thanks to his immense charity work and philanthropic endeavors.

Considering Lockett's history of always being available, the Seahawks could be in for a shell shock to close out the 2022 season after the standout receiver suffered a broken bone in his left hand during the fourth quarter of Thursday's 21-13 loss to the 49ers. While coach Pete Carroll believes he has a chance to return in quick order, with him set to undergo surgery to stabilize the bone this week, it's possible his season could be over with only three guaranteed games left to play.

"Very optimistic review this morning from the docs that he's got a chance to get back quickly, and we'll see if it can happen," Carroll said on Monday. "If there's any way possible, he'll do it, he'll figure it out. We've had good success with this guy in the past, he's been really an expert at it. Maybe [Lockett] can pull off something that would surprise us a little bit here, so we'll see. And I know that's what Tyler is wanting to do."

If there's been a key to Lockett's sustained success, at least on the field, his remarkable durability has allowed him to post elite numbers that stack up against the NFL's best. Despite being a smaller receiver at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, he missed just two combined games in his first seven NFL seasons, sitting out the season finale in 2016 with a broken leg and one game in 2021 due to testing positive for COVID-19.

Earlier this year, Lockett gutted through hamstring and oblique injuries to play against the Chargers and Giants in back-to-back wins in October, contributing the best he could while admittedly not being close to 100 percent healthy. His toughness commands the respect of coaches and teammates alike, playing an integral role in his ability to lead by example. Not seeing No. 16 in uniform has been even more rare than a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest in December.

Put simply, the Seahawks have never had to worry about playing an extended stretch without Lockett and when he has been out, his absence has been felt. In the two previous cases where he didn't dress on game day, they grinded out a sloppy 25-23 win over a bad 49ers team to close out the 2016 season and took a 20-10 loss to the Rams in Week 10 last year, receiving only one reception from a receiver not named DK Metcalf in that rare Tuesday night contest.

Already reeling with four losses in the past five games, Carroll knows Seattle can't replace the production of a dynamic playmaker of Lockett's caliber with one player and the timing couldn't be much worse. But with the team still having a chance to make the playoffs, when asked who would help fill the void, he expressed confidence they can find a way to get by without him offensively and stay in the hunt while keeping fingers crossed he can return after missing only a game or two.

"Give us a chance to work on that, but you don't replace him," Carroll responded. "He's such an extraordinary player that we're not going to ask guys to do the same thing and hope they do it just like Tyler does. We're going to use our guys to their strengths, so that's how we'll do that. Marquise [Goodwin] has played really well and really helped us in a number of ways, and leaning on him is a good idea. Our tight ends are ready to help us at any time as well. We'll see as we get back at it."

As Carroll noted, Goodwin has been a pleasant surprise emerging as a viable third target behind Lockett and Metcalf, ranking third on the team with four receiving touchdowns and first averaging 14.3 yards per catch. No other receiver has more than seven catches this season, however, with former second-round pick Dee Eskridge failing to make an impact before landing on injured reserve himself.

With Lockett being out, Carroll suggested Eskridge could be back soon with another chance to expand his role in Seattle's offense after a disappointing, injury-marred start to his career. Seventh-round pick Dareke Young, who made a spectacular catch along the sideline on Thursday night that unfortunately was wiped out by a holding penalty, should be in line for increased reps as well and has developed a stellar connection with quarterback Geno Smith in his rookie season.

Ultimately, as Carroll hinted, tight ends may be the ones who gain the most with Lockett being out in Shane Waldron's offense, as Smith has exhibited great trust in the trio of Will Dissly, Noah Fant, and Colby Parkinson all season and relied heavily on them at times. The trifecta has combined to catch 90 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns.

Regardless of what the Seahawks choose to do offensively to lessen the blow of Lockett's injury, the team will be entering uncharted territory with a real possibility the star receiver won't make it back this season and others will need to step up. With postseason chances hanging by a thread in a dire situation, what happens next Saturday in Kansas City could go a long way towards deciding whether the team has any incentive to rush him back into action to begin with.

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