The biggest Seahawks injury development on Thursday came from the offensive line, and it was the kind of update that can change the mood around a report in a hurry. Charles Cross, who has been sidelined since hurting his ankle against the Kansas City Chiefs a couple weeks ago, finally got back onto the field in a limited capacity after not practicing at all since the injury.
That doesn’t mean Cross is suddenly on track to play Sunday, but it does point toward a return after the bye week. For Seattle, that’s the important part: progress, even if it’s not immediate.
Elsewhere, Jaxon Smith-Njigba moved from resting on Wednesday to a full practice Thursday, while A.J. Barner was taken off the report entirely after dealing with a finger issue. That’s usually the cleanest sign a player is fully healthy.
A few other Seahawks names stayed in the same lane. Rashid Shaheed was a full participant again with his knee issue, which points toward him being available Sunday.
Jarran Reed remained a DNP, though the report listed that absence as personal rather than injury-related. Anthony Bradford (knee), Derick Hall (back), Drew Lock (right elbow, oblique), Uchenna Nwosu (ankle), and Connor O’Toole (foot) all stayed limited.
The more concerning group remained on the sideline. Sam Darnold (ribs, quadricep), Quenton Nelson (knee), Brandon Pili (back), and Leonard Williams (stinger) were all DNPs again, and the expectation is that they won’t be part of Sunday’s game. Darnold and Nelson, in particular, have essentially been ruled out this week, with the bye week offering plenty of reason to hold them back.
On the Raiders’ side, the Thursday report barely moved. The one notable change was Folorunso Fatukasi, who went from limited to full with shoulder and back issues, a sign he’s ready to go. Thomas Booker (ankle) and Trey Zuhn (concussion) stayed limited, while Ian Thomas (ankle) remained a full participant.
As things stand, injuries don’t appear likely to be a major factor for Las Vegas this weekend, and the group on the report should be available. The Raiders also don’t seem to be carrying much in the way of long-term injury concerns.
In Other News...
Seahawks Offense Is Pushing Mike Macdonald Toward A Tough Decision
Seattles offense has hit a rough patch at exactly the wrong time, with the scoring average sliding over recent games as injuries and general dysfunction have taken a toll. For a team still trying to position itself for a playoff run, the issues are piling up in familiar places: quarterback health, an offensive line that has struggled to stay cohesive, and a play-calling operation that has not found enough rhythm to steady things.
Mike Macdonald now has to weigh whether a change under center could help spark the unit, even as the broader problems around it remain very real. The Seahawks do not need a cosmetic fix so much as a workable answer, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether the staff can settle on one before the seasons margin for error gets any thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Finally Addressed Their Biggest Problem But A New Concern Emerged
Seattle finally made the move that had been hanging over its season, landing offensive lineman Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts in a deal that sent a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick the other way before the NFL trade deadline. The addition was meant to give the Seahawks the kind of interior help they had been searching for, and the team wasted little time adjusting by moving Grey Zabel to right guard so Nelson could settle in at left guard.
Nelson made his debut in Week 8, but the early returns have been interrupted by a knee injury that is expected to keep him out for at least two games. So while the Seahawks still view the trade as an upgrade up front, the bigger question now is how long they will have to wait to see the line they envisioned when they made the deal. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Injury Report Brings Relief But Leaves One Week 10 Concern
Charles Cross was back on the field in a limited capacity Wednesday after sitting out the previous practice with an ankle injury, a welcome sign for a Seahawks offensive line that has had to keep an eye on its health entering Week 10 against the Raiders. Jaxon Smith-Njigba also returned to full participation after being rested earlier in the week, while tight end AJ Barner was removed from the injury report altogether after practicing fully through a finger issue.
The overall picture was a fairly encouraging one for Seattle, with the rest of the report holding steady and no fresh setbacks showing up. Even so, the attention now shifts to Cross, whose ankle will be worth tracking as the week unfolds, because the Seahawks would prefer not to head into Sunday with one more front-line concern hanging over them. [Read more 🡒]