The Seattle Seahawks may have dodged a major setback with Leonard Williams.
Williams left Sunday’s 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half after suffering a lower body injury, and he did not return. The All-Pro defensive lineman was already having a quiet afternoon before the injury ended his day early, but head coach Mike Macdonald sounded optimistic afterward.
“He’s got an ankle [injury] … it doesn’t look serious right now, which is positive news, but we’ll see,” Macdonald told reporters.
Even without a tackle in the box score, Williams still managed one quarterback hit before exiting. That small stat line came after a strong stretch for the veteran, who had piled up 13 tackles, 3.0 sacks and five tackles for loss over Seattle’s previous three games while anchoring one of the league’s top defenses.
Now in his 12th NFL season at 32 years old, Williams has remained a force for a Super Bowl-winning defense and earned his first Second Team All-Pro selection in 2025. His season line includes 62 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks and a pick-six.
Seattle would feel his absence immediately if he can’t suit up for Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers. Williams sits at the center of the Seahawks’ front alongside Byron Murphy II and Jarran Reed, and his ability to draw double teams helps create opportunities for everyone else up front.
If Williams is unable to play, Mike Morris and Rylie Mills would likely see a bigger workload. But that may turn out to be a precautionary note rather than a real problem if Macdonald’s early read holds up.
The coming practice reports will tell the story. That matters plenty for Seattle, which needs to be close to full strength against a 49ers team that comes in at 4-0 and leads the NFC West.
The win over the Chargers counted, but it was shakier than expected. Penalties and defensive mistakes turned what should have been a more comfortable finish into a much tighter game late. Against San Francisco, those kinds of errors will be tougher to survive - and that only raises the value of having Williams on the field.
In Other News...
Seahawks Win Came With One Ugly Problem Fans Wont Ignore
The Seahawks left no doubt about the result in Sundays 30-23 win over the Chargers, and there was plenty to like beyond the final score. Connor OTooles recovery of a muffed punt helped set up an early touchdown, the defense forced three turnovers, and Derick Halls late fumble recovery closed the door as Seattle moved to 3-1.
Still, the victory came with an ugly number that was hard to miss: a franchise-record 150 penalty yards. Even with the lead never truly slipping away, the constant flags kept the Chargers around longer than Seattle would have preferred, leaving the Seahawks with a win that looked convincing on the scoreboard and messy everywhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Are 3-1 But This Win Exposed A Costly Problem
The Seahawks got the kind of messy AFC-to-NFC crossover game that tends to reveal as much as it rewards, with turnovers and flags shaping the afternoon almost as much as the play calling. Drake Thomas picked off Justin Herbert on the Chargers first snap, setting an early tone at Lumen Field, while Seattle answered with a 28-yard touchdown run by Shaheed and a defense that kept poking at a Chargers offense trying to settle in.
But the more the game wore on, the more the penalties became impossible to ignore for a 3-1 team trying to look like a true contender. Seattle and Los Angeles both had drives slowed or stalled by flags, and the Seahawks own mistakes left them having to fight for every clean sequence. For a team with a winning record, the concern is less about the flash plays than whether that sloppiness is becoming part of the identity. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Loss Exposed A Problem Fans Wont Want To Ignore
Seattles 30-23 win over the Chargers came with plenty to like, from Emanuel Wilsons impact as a runner and receiver to Jones all-around effort on defense. The Seahawks got the kind of complementary performance that can carry a team through a tight game, with the offense finding answers and the defense producing takeaways and pressure at key moments.
But the victory also came with a concern the Seahawks cant just brush aside. Leonard Williams left early with an injury and is set to undergo further evaluation, a reminder that even a good Sunday can carry a cost if one of the defensive fronts most important players is sidelined for any length of time. [Read more 🡒]