The Seahawks’ rookie class has taken a brutal turn, and the latest update only makes the picture look rougher. Seattle now has its top three drafted players on injured reserve, leaving just two rookies who are actually contributing on a regular basis.
Against the San Francisco 49ers in the Seahawks’ 32-29 home loss, only two rookies saw action. Neither put together a standout performance, but both showed enough flashes to keep the developmental conversation alive. At this point, that may be the biggest bright spot available from this group.
One of the two was guard Beau Stephens, who kept sharing work with veteran Christian Haynes at right guard while starter Anthony Bradford remains on IR. Stephens was on the field for 30 snaps, or 47.6% of the offense’s plays, and the Seahawks appear to have a clear plan for him even if the growth is still a work in progress. He had a mix of encouraging moments and rough ones in the loss.
The other rookie in Sunday’s mix was undrafted cornerback Avery Smith, who was back in the lineup after sitting as a healthy scratch in Weeks 3 and 4. Smith logged 16 special teams snaps, the most he has played all season, and finished with three tackles, including one solo. Still, the play most people will remember is the holding penalty that wiped out a good return by Rashid Shaheed.
Seattle also added running back Robert Henry Jr. to the 53-man roster on Oct. 6 after signing him from the Washington Commanders practice squad. He joins Emanuel Wilson and George Holani in the backfield rotation, and the source material leaves no doubt about the current level of confidence there.
Beyond the active roster, the Seahawks have nine rookies on the practice squad as of Tuesday morning. Four of them were drafted by Seattle: cornerback Michael Dansby, defensive tackle Deven Eastern, cornerback Andre Fuller and wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr.
The rest of that group includes guard Evan Beerntsen, edge rusher Aidan Hubbard, running back Dontae McMillan, wide receiver Malick Meiga and defensive tackle Gary Smith III, all undrafted players who could be called up if injuries keep piling up. McMillan was brought in after the Seahawks’ attempt to sign veteran Joe Mixon fell through.
The injury list now reaches all the way to the draft’s top end. Neal went on IR before the 49ers game with a hamstring injury after appearing in all four games on special teams and one game on defense. He will miss at least the Broncos, Chiefs and Bears matchups.
Jadarian Price, the team’s top-selected rookie running back, is also headed for at least two more games on the shelf because of a chest injury. Seattle’s run game was already shaky when he was carrying the load, and it has been described as a disaster with Wilson and Holani now handling the bulk of the work. The source frames it as a race between Price and veteran Zach Charbonnet to see who saves the offense.
The last rookie currently on IR is safety Bud Clark, who broke his ankle in the second preseason game. Clark would have been in line to play in all five games and start four of the first five because of Ty Okada’s injury, but the recovery timeline leaves him unlikely to return until he is a 25-year-old second-year player.
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