The Seahawks’ rookie class has hit a messy stretch, and Week 4 only sharpened the concern.
Seattle came out of its 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers with more questions than comfort, especially after the latest health issue involving rookie running back Jadarian Price. For a draft group that was already under scrutiny, this felt like another step in the wrong direction.
Price’s injury is the biggest blow. Through three games, he had 119 rushing yards on 28 carries, but the production came with inconsistency and fumbling problems. Now the Seahawks have put him on IR with a chest injury, and they’ll be without their young starter as they head into a brutal stretch against the San Francisco 49ers (4-0), the Denver Broncos (2-2) on Thursday Night Football, and the Kansas City Chiefs (4-0).
The rookie who saw the most action in Week 4 was right guard Beau Stephens, and it may have been his toughest outing yet. With Anthony Bradford on IR, Christian Haynes has become the better interior offensive lineman in the rotation for now.
Elsewhere, cornerback Julian Neal was once again nowhere to be found on defense. He did not log a defensive snap for the second straight game and the third time in four weeks for Seattle’s Dark Side Defense.
Neal is now sitting behind the starters, Nehemiah Pritchett and Trevon Diggs, who made his first regular-season appearance Sunday. Neal did, however, play 23 special teams reps, which was nine more than he had in the Week 3 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Cornerback Avery Smith was also a healthy inactive in Week 4. That marked the second game in a row he has been inactive while still staying on the 53-man roster.
Seattle’s practice squad includes eight rookies, and the group got two new additions in Week 4. The Seahawks swapped out Uso Seumalo for another rookie defensive tackle, Gary Smith III. At the moment, there’s no sign that any of the other rookies - guard Evan Beernsen, cornerback Michael Dansby, defensive tackle Deven Eastern, cornerback Andre Fuller, wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr., edge rusher Aidan Hubbard or wide receiver Malick Meiga - are close to being moved up to the active roster.
The roughest part of the rookie picture may have started even earlier, though, with safety Bud Clark’s season-ending ankle injury. He had been working toward a role as a key backup and special teams contributor, and he likely would have played and started his fourth game by now, with Ty Okada yet to appear in a game this season.
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Seahawks Have A Real Chance To Add Another Defensive Game Changer
Khalil Macks name is already starting to surface as the kind of midseason trade chip that can shake up the market, and Seattle makes plenty of sense as a possible landing spot. The Chargers 0-4 start has only added to the speculation, while the Seahawks have built enough of a pass rush to at least imagine how another proven edge presence could fit into the mix.
For Seattle, the appeal is easy to see: a contender looking to keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks could use another defensive difference-maker, especially if the price comes in the form of draft picks. The question now is less about whether the Seahawks would have interest than whether the Chargers decide to listen, and how much it would take to pull a player like Mack out of Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Fan Crossed A Line With Justin Herbert Heckle
The Chargers 0-4 start has already put Justin Herbert under the microscope, with the quarterback fighting through an uneven opening month under Jim Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel. Herberts early numbers have reflected the turbulence, and when Los Angeles came to Lumen Field in Week 4, the frustration around the offense spilled beyond the field and into the stands.
One Seahawks fan was caught on video directing a food-related insult at Herbert during the game, an example of how thin the line can get when a star quarterback is struggling and a road crowd senses it. It was the kind of heckle that can travel fast because of who it was aimed at, and it added another odd footnote to a Chargers season that has already been short on comfort and long on scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Tough Elijah Arroyo Question
Elijah Arroyo entered the season with the kind of draft pedigree and internal praise that usually signals a real role, but the Seahawks have barely had him involved through four games. The tight end has only one catch on one target, and his snap count has been limited enough to make him more of a background note than a featured piece of the passing game.
For a Seattle offense still sorting out its weekly identity, Arroyos quiet start raises a practical question as much as a developmental one. John Schneiders public confidence in him suggested the organization saw a bigger future ahead, yet the current usage says the staff is still deciding how, or even whether, to fold him into the game plan in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]