By Bob Condotta
The Seattle Times
Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is listed as questionable by the Seahawks for Sunday’s game against the Rams while weakside linebacker K.J. Wright is listed as doubtful.
But as Friday evolved, Wagner appeared to be trending toward likely getting on the field Sunday — or least trying really hard to — while Wright at this point may be considered as even more doubtful than doubtful.
Coach Pete Carroll said after practice that Wagner “did some good stuff today in rehab” as he attempts to recover well enough from a nagging hamstring injury that finally caused him to leave last Sunday’s game against Jacksonville in the third quarter. Carroll said Wagner would run on Saturday and be considered a gametime decision Sunday.
But given the stakes of the game — Seattle pretty much has to win it to take the NFC West — and that Wagner progressed well enough to be listed as questionable instead of doubtful there appeared to be optimism he can play.
“Oh, he’s trying now,” Carroll said. “He’s trying.”
Roughly three-quarters of Seattle players given the questionable designation this year have played on gameday, including Wagner on three other occasions since November (prior to the win over the Eagles, Wagner, tight end Jimmy Graham, left tackle Duane Brown and safety Earl Thomas were all listed as questionable and all played.)
Doubtful is another story. Seattle has listed eight players as doubtful this year and none have been active on gameday — both Wright and defensive tackle Nazair Jones (ankle) were listed as doubtful for the Rams’ game.
What’s problematic in Wright’s case is that he suffered a concussion and has to go through the league’s protocol, which includes returning to practice first on a limited basis and then on a full basis. Wright did not practice Friday, which would seem as if it would not leave enough time to get through the steps.
But Carroll said he wouldn’t rule out Wright playing saying only that “it’s up to the docs. We really don’t have any say in that at all.”
Other than safety Kam Chancellor, who remains on the roster but has already been declared out for the year, those three were the only players listed on the injury report.
Wright has not missed a game since the 2013 season when he missed the last three games of the regular season. He has started 61 straight games since then.
Wright’s listed backup is Terence Garvin. But if Wagner can play and Wright cannot, a more likely scenario may be that Wagner starts at middle linebacker and Michael Wilhoite steps in at Wright’s weakside linebacker spot. That would leave Garvin to play the strongside linebacker spot, though Seattle also promoted Paul Dawson — a 2015 third-round pick out out TCU — from the practice squad this week and he could also factor in depending on who emerges as healthy.
Wilhoite was signed in the off-season to give Seattle an experienced backup for the inside spots as well as compete at strongside linebacker. He has started eight games at strongside this year and moved over to play the middle last week when Wagner went out.
Carroll said the team feels comfortable with Wilhoite wherever he might be needed Sunday.
“It’s a great bonus to have guys with flexibility and leadership, too,” Carroll said. “He’s a leader, he can take command in the huddle if he has to and all of that, so it’s not a stretch at all for him to be playing a lot of football there.”
Jones, a rookie defensive tackle, appears as if he may miss a third straight game with a sprained ankle.
“It’s going to be a miraculous recovery if he makes it from here,” Carroll said. “I don’t think he is going to make it.”
But the rest of the news was good, notably for tailback Mike Davis, who left the Jacksonville game in the third quarter with a rib injury but was able to practice this week without any setbacks and was not listed on the injury report.
“He’s done well all week,” Carroll said. “He’s made it through the week, and he’s in good shape. He’s ready to go.”
CARSON COULD RETURN
Carroll said there’s a chance running back Chris Carson could return off of Injured Reserve for the regular season finale against Arizona if he can make it back to practice next week.
He has been out since the Oct. 1 game against Indianapolis with an ankle injury that required surgery. Carroll said last week Carson had a setback in his rehab but this week said Carson was able to recover quickly from that and get back to work.
“I haven’t heard about today, and we’re doing it day-by-day,” Carroll said Friday. “We’re hoping that he’ll get some work at least by late next week. If we put him on quick, maybe he’ll play in two (weeks), so we’ll see what happens. He has to be successful and make it through it and with good fortune, that can happen.”
NFL teams can call two players off of IR each year and has yet to use either of its return designations this season.
DECISION ON SHEAD COMING
Carroll said cornerback DeShawn Shead had another good week in his attempt to come back from a knee injury suffered last January in the divisional playoff loss against Atlanta.
Carroll said the plan is for Shead to practice again next week and then the team will have to make a decision for him to either be activated to the 53-man roster or placed on IR — Shead has been on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
“He’s done well,” Carroll said. “He’s put in two weeks of work. The tempo during these latter weeks in the season aren’t such that he gets tested every day but he has been working every day and he is out there practicing with us, so he’s going full go. So we will see. Next week we will make an evaluation of where he is.”
Because the team is already paying Shead on PUP the Seahawks could add him to the active roster without any additional hit to the salary cap (and the team can easily create a roster spot by putting Chancellor on IR).
