The Seattle Seahawks are starting to see some light at the end of the injury tunnel, and one key piece of the offensive line could be back in the mix this week. Head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed Monday that starting center Jalen Sundell is slated to return to practice after spending the last four games on injured reserve with a knee injury.
Sundell’s return adds a layer of intrigue to Seattle’s offensive line rotation. He originally won the starting center job over Olu Oluwatimi, who dealt with his own injury setbacks during training camp. That competition could now be back on the table, depending on how the Seahawks choose to shuffle things up.
One wrinkle here: Sundell didn’t just get reps at center during the summer-he also saw time at right guard in both training camp and preseason action. That versatility could come into play, especially considering the up-and-down performance of Anthony Bradford at the guard spot. Bradford has had his moments, but lately, it’s been his pass protection that’s stood out as a steadying force.
So the question becomes: Do the Seahawks plug Sundell back in at center and move Oluwatimi to a reserve role? Or do they experiment with Sundell at guard and keep Oluwatimi in the middle? Macdonald wasn’t tipping his hand just yet.
“We’ll see,” he said when asked about Sundell’s role moving forward.
On the flip side, tight end depth is taking a hit. Elijah Arroyo exited Sunday’s 37-9 win over the Falcons with a knee injury after being targeted on Sam Darnold’s lone interception of the game. Macdonald didn’t sound optimistic about Arroyo’s chances of suiting up this week.
“Elijah’s got a knee,” Macdonald said. “Just working through it right now, but I’d say this week’s probably in jeopardy for him.”
Arroyo, a second-round rookie, has been active in every game this season, but his role in the passing game has been minimal-just two catches over the last five weeks. If he’s unavailable for this week’s matchup against the Colts, the Seahawks will likely lean on Brady Russell and Nick Kallerup as backups behind A.J.
Barner. Veteran Eric Saubert remains on injured reserve, even though he’s eligible to return to practice.
As the Seahawks gear up for a critical stretch of the season, the return of Sundell could provide a much-needed boost to the offensive line, while Arroyo’s status leaves the tight end room in a bit of a holding pattern.