Mike Macdonald: Injured Seattle Seahawks 'On Their Own Timeline' For Return

Coming off their first loss of the season, Mike Macdonald didn't have concrete details on when the Saehawks could have several defensive starters back in action.

Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) reacts after a sack against New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

In the aftermath of a 42-29 road loss to the Detroit Lions where the Seattle Seahawks had as many as five defensive starters sidelined by the second half, it remains to be seen when those players could return to the field moving forward.

Short-handed in the trenches on defense, the Seahawks were without defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II as well as edge rushers Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe. Additionally, linebacker Jerome Baker was ruled out for a second straight game before kickoff with a hamstring injury and safety Julian Love exited in the second half with a bruised thigh, further decimating a unit that looked like a preseason defense by the end of regulation.

Speaking on his weekly radio show with hosts Mike Salk and Brock Huard on Seattle Sports 710, coach Mike Macdonald indicated Baker looks to be the closest to coming back as he recovers from a strained hamstring suffered in training camp, but he ultimately didn't make enough progress to play on Monday night. Rookie Tyrice Knight started in his absence for the second straight game, finishing with nine tackles at the weakside linebacker spot.

“I’d say the closest was Baker,” Macdonald said. “Hamstrings are tricky… The guy’s running pretty fast, he’s getting some certain accelerations. I’d say he’s probably the closest right now, and I’m optimistic.”

As for Williams, Nwosu, Murphy, and Mafe, Macdonald stuck to his usual guns by not offering any specific insight on any of those players specifically, simply saying all four of them are on their own recovery schedule and should viewed as week-to-week at this stage.

“Everybody’s kind of on their own timeline, but it’s nothing that we’re just going to be like, ‘They’re out forever,'” Macdonald said. “It’s just when they’re ready to come back. So, that’s kind of where we are with those guys.”

With a short week to prepare for the Giants to come to Lumen Field, the Seahawks could certainly use some reinforcements after injuries took a toll on Macdonald's defense on Monday night. The Lions racked up 118 yards on the ground with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, who found big creases to run through all night long, while Jared Goff carved up Seattle's secondary by completing all 18 of his pass attempts and scoring three total touchdowns, including a receiving score thrown by receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Set to jump right into preparations for Week 5, it will be interesting to see how Seattle handles its litany of injuries since a Thursday night battle against San Francisco looms just five days later. Playing the long game, Macdonald and his staff may still exercise caution for this weekend with hopes of being much closer to full strength when the 49ers come up to Lumen Field after a short turnaround.