Seahawks WR DK Metcalf Practices, Status For Week 10 Uncertain

The Seahawks will have DK Metcalf back on the practice field on Wednesday, but as for his status for Sunday at the 49ers, that remains to be seen.

Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) can not make a catch in the end zone defended by Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell (24) during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

RENTON, Wash. - Returning from the bye week, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald expressed optimism on Monday that star receiver DK Metcalf would be able to play against the San Francisco 49ers after missing the previous two games due to a knee injury.

Sure enough, per Macdonald prior to practice, the Seahawks expect Metcalf to be back on the field in limited fashion on Wednesday, setting the stage for his anticipated return. But while the wideout remains hopeful he will be able to suit up in Santa Clara, he needs to see how he holds up during the week before knowing whether or not he will be ready to go.

“I don’t know yet. Gonna practice today and then see how it goes," Metcalf said.

Before going down with an MCL sprain, Metcalf was in the midst of arguably his strongest season to date. Even after missing two games, while his catch rate sits at just 57 percent, he still ranks 14th in the NFL with 568 receiving yards and second in the league averaging 16.2 yards per reception, showcasing his elite ability as a downfield target. Two of his three touchdowns have gone for at least 50 yards.

Losing back-to-back home games to the Bills and Rams without him in the lineup, the Seahawks have certainly missed Metcalf's big play capabilities on offense. In those two games, the team failed to score more than 20 points, including being held to just 10 points and failing to produce a single play of 21 or more yards against Buffalo in Week 8.

Most notably, Metcalf's absence may have been felt the most in the red zone. Quarterback Geno Smith threw a pair of interceptions inside the opposing 20-yard line against the Rams, with one of them being returned 102 yards for a touchdown, while center Connor Williams snapped the ball over his head and tripped him up by stepping on his foot on fourth down on separate drives against the Bills one week earlier, leading to a grand total of three points on those four trips.

Telling reporters on Wednesday he didn't know he was injured until he ran down the sideline on Derick Hall's fumble return for a touchdown, Metcalf originally sprained his knee in the second half of a road win over the Falcons in Week 7 when he took a shot trying to make a leaping catch on a deep ball along the sideline. After undergoing tests, the team announced he had a Grade 1 MCL sprain and kept open the possibility he could play again before the bye week, only to be ruled out the next two games.

Hoping to make it back by Sunday, the uber-competitive Metcalf said it "wasn't tough" to sit out those games because he knew he wasn't close to 100 percent healthy to be the best version of himself and felt his teammates gave the Seahawks a better chance to win.

"It was an easy decision for me. Nothing mental," Metcalf said. "It was just hard on game days having to sit back and watch, just kind of a different perspective."

Now a game under .500 and looking to get back into the NFC West race, Seattle faces a must-win scenario hitting the road to face San Francisco, who already won the first matchup between the two rivals in Week 6 at Lumen Field. Getting Metcalf back in the lineup would certainly boost their chances, though he only caught three passes for 44 yards on 11 targets on October 10 and acknowledged running the wrong route on a back-breaking fourth quarter interception thrown by Smith.

Nonetheless, as evidenced by their underwhelming points production and diminished explosive plays without him, the Seahawks have a far more potent offense with Metcalf in the fold and he historically has played well against their bitter rivals. Now that he's had three weeks to heal, both the player and the team will be hoping for a strong week of practice to ensure he's able to play versus the 49ers, putting them back to full strength at the skill positions to combat one of the NFC's best defenses.

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