RENTON -- While a handful of key rookies are sidelined due to injuries, the Seahawks expect to get a handful of players back this week in time for Saturday's third preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Head coach Pete Carroll also plans on everyone physically able to play in the game.
"I’m expecting everyone to play in this game and I’m looking forward to it," Carroll said.
The game will be the final test for the starting units ahead of the team's regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8. Most starters and key depth players likely will not play in the preseason finale against the Oakland Raiders next Thursday.
However, Seattle's top three draft picks are all dealing with injuries at the moment. Wide receiver DK Metcalf had surgery on Tuesday to address a minor issue with his knee. Safety Marquise Blair missed practice on Wednesday after leaving Sunday's game against Minnesota with back spasms, and defensive end L.J. Collier is still recovering from an ankle sprain.
Here were Carroll's updates on the three from Wednesday.
-- Metcalf: "It was a minimal surgery, minimal findings so we have high expectations. We'll go week-to-week with it and see how he does and we really don't have any concern that he won't get back soon. We're excited that we got it done. It was the kind of thing we could have put off and waited but we thought we'd use the time frame that we had available and hopefully it will work out just right for us.
"We're going to go week-to-week and see what happens. There's no indications that it's going to be a long return. It's going to be a shorter return than long so we'll see how we can do with this and keep our fingers crossed for him."
Blair: "He had back spasms in the game and just didn't quite make it back today. He tried and wasn't able to go. So that's a day-to-day thing."
Collier: “Yeah, we just talked about it today and he’s doing a lot of stuff. He’s up and moving and all that and AlterG and all those kinds of things. Not quite ready to unload on it where he can run up on it and change direction. So, not quite.”
Defensive tackle Nazair Jones is having more problems with his ailing knee and Carroll indicated on Wednesday that the team is looking to get the issue corrected here this week.
“He’s having problems with his knee," Carroll said. "We are addressing that this week. He was not here today. He’s been working hard to try to quiet it down, it just hasn’t gone the way we want it to. He’s got a tendinitis type of thing that’s bothering him. That’s not an official evaluation. So we’ll know the next couple days as we will, we are looking at him carefully.”
Backup quarterback Paxton Lynch will not play this week after taking a shot to the head from Vikings cornerback Holton Hill in Sunday's preseason game. Lynch did not return to the game due to the concussion and Hill was ejected from the game for the hit. Meanwhile, Geno Smith returned to practice after missing the last week following a minor knee surgery to remove a cyst.
“We are going to hold him out this week," Carroll said of Lynch. "He didn’t quite make it back and passing the all protocol and all. We are just going to take care of him, we think it’s a good idea. Geno [Smith] needs to play a lot. It’ll work out. This is really because we want to take care of Paxton, he took a nasty hit. His neck is still sore.”
Carroll said he expects J.D. McKissic,C.J. Prosise and Lano Hill to play in the upcoming game after missing time due to injuries. Linebacker Shaquem Griffin remains day-to-day due to a bruised knee.
Seahawks add two offensive linemen:
In the wake of injuries along the offensive line, the Seahawks added two more blockers to their roster on Wednesday.
Seattle signed guard Landon Turner and tackle Brian Wallace to offset the injuries up front. Guard Demetrius Knox was placed on injured reserve due to a quadriceps injury sustained in Sunday night's game against Minnesota. The team also waived safety Jalen Harvey to create the necessary room on the roster.
In addition to Knox, the Seahawks were without Mike Iupati (calf), George Fant (ankle), Jamarco Jones, Phil Haynes (PUP/sports hernia surgery) and Jordan Simmons (knee) along the offensive line by the end of Sunday's preseason game.
Photo Credit: MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 18: Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks looks for a handoff in the first quarter of the pre-season game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 18, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)