Anthony Bradford’s absence is going to stretch well beyond one game.
The Seattle Seahawks placed their starting right guard on injured reserve, which means Bradford will miss at least four games while he recovers from the knee and hip injuries that sidelined him last week. He was already ruled out for Seattle’s Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals, and now the team has made it clear this issue will take some time.
Seattle also made a roster move to fill the spot, signing Rodney Thomas II from the practice squad to the active roster.
Bradford is set to sit out matchups with the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. The earliest possible return is Week 7, when the Seahawks host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
The designation to return leaves the door open for Bradford to come back before the season ends, though he could certainly need more time. That timing matters, too: Bradford is scheduled to be a free agent after the season, and the injury arrives at an unfortunate moment for his future.
Seattle appears to be handling this carefully because Bradford is viewed as an important part of the offensive line. The Seahawks do not have a clear-cut replacement ready to take over, so the priority is getting him fully healthy before bringing him back into the lineup.
For now, the right guard job belongs to Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens. In Week 2 against Arizona, Haynes got the start and played 43 of Seattle’s offensive snaps, accounting for a little more than 61 percent. Stephens, a fifth-round pick out of Iowa, made his NFL debut and handled the other 27 snaps, or 39 percent.
Haynes seems to have the early edge based on the start, but Stephens is also a player Seattle may want to develop further. He did not see the field in the opener against the New England Patriots, so the team may have preferred not to rush him into the lineup too quickly.
Over the next few weeks, both players should get chances to make their case at right guard.
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For Seattle, the timing matters. The Seahawks are positioned to be in the NFC West mix early, and if Los Angeles stumbles again, the division picture could start to tilt quickly toward Seattle and San Francisco after Week 3. A Rams start at 1-2 would not decide anything, but it would give the Seahawks a little more breathing room while their biggest division rival tries to survive without Nacua. [Read more 🡒]