RENTON — Fitting in completely among Seahawks running backs, J.D. McKissic is the next one injured.
Though he practiced as usual on Tuesday, a league source confirmed to me a report from later in the day that McKissic has a broken bone in his foot and will miss four to six weeks.
The Seahawks discovered McKissic’s break following Tuesday’s practice.
It’s being termed a Jones fracture, a break between the base and shaft of the fifth metatarsal bone in the foot. The fifth metatarsal is the long bone along the outside of the foot connected to the pinkie toe.
The injury was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who cited a league sources.
McKissic’s is the latest in a three-year string of them among Seattle’s running backs. Those backfield hurts date to Marshawn Lynch’s last and only injury-filled season with the Seahawks and his replacement Thomas Rawls’ broken ankle, both in 2015.
McKissic was getting running-back time this preseason behind Chris Carson, rookie Rashaad Penny and C.J. Prosise—until Penny broke his left index finger last week and had surgery and Prosise had a hip-flexor injury. Prosise returned from that last week to make his preseason debut Saturday at the Los Angeles Chargers.
Penny was in his helmet and shoulder pads running behind the offense’s huddle during Tuesday’s practice. That was his first work on the field since his surgery Aug. 15.
“Yeah, he’s running around already. He’s back in terms of conditioning and moving and all that kind of stuff,” coach Pete Carroll said of his first-round draft choice. “We’re very fortunate he’s going to be able to get back right away. It’s just a matter of making sure that it’s secure and quiet it down.
“He’ll run all week long and he could be ready for next week. For sure (he’ll) be ready for the opener.”
Carson, the team’s lead tailback, hasn’t played a real game since he broke his leg and got severe ankle-ligament damage in a game on Oct. 1. But he’s fully healthy now, reading for the opening to the regular season.
McKissic has been the lead punt returner and kickoff returner in Seattle’s first two preseason games. The Seahawks appear to be preserving Lockett, a Pro Bowl kick returner as a rookie in the 2015 season, to return kicks again in the regular season. That begins Sept. 9 at Denver.
McKissic’s injury and estimated absence could, if the timetable is accurate, cost him at least three regular-season games.
As for the idea McKissic’s injury assures Prosise will make the team when the 53-man roster must be set for the regular season on Sept. 1: Prosise was almost surely already going to make the team.
As frustrated as they have been with Prosise’s seven different injuries in 28 months with them and him playing just 11 of a possible 32 regular-season games in his first two NFL seasons, the Seahawks have a part of their playbook specifically devoted to his unique skills. Seattle has used the former wide receiver at Notre Dame as a third-down back to catch passes, and in 2-minute drills. He’s big enough at 6 feet 1 and 225 pounds to also run the ball inside the tackles, and to split out wide to run routes and catch passes in mismatches with linebackers.
The Seahawks are tantalized by what Prosise showed in consecutive games as a rookie of the 2016 season: his 17 carries for 66 yards plus seven receptions for 87 more yards Nov. 13, 2016, in Seattle’s upset win at New England, then his 72-yard touchdown run the following week at home against Philadelphia. Then he injured his shoulder in that Eagles game, ending his rookie season. He played in only five games last season, which started with him having a groin injury.
He has two years remaining including this one that is costing the Seahawks just $660,000 in base salary and $833,00 in salary-cap space in 2018. So it’s not a financial risk to keep Prosise’s talent.
Now, if he can just stay on the field. If just about any Seahawks running back could just stay on the field.
“Well, just to have the running backs there when we play will be really nice. Just showing up would be good,” Carroll said earlier this month.
“We’ve had it pretty difficult the past couple of years.”
Mike Davis stands to gain more opportunities if McKissic is indeed sidelined for at least a month. The starting tailback to end last season because of injuries has been towards the back of the running-back rotation this preseason.
NOW MCDOUGALD’S HURT
Bradley McDougald, who has been the strong safety and is also an option to start at free safety, did not participate in the team’s first practice since he and the rest of the Seahawks’ starting defense played the first half Saturday against the Chargers.
“He’s got a little pec(toral) strain in the game,” Carroll said.
Tedric Thompson was again the starting free safety in practice, as Earl Thomas’ contract holdout entered its fourth week. Second-year man Delano Hill was the first one up at strong safety in place of McDougald.
The Seahawks have one more full practice then a walk-through one Thursday before Friday night’s preseason game at Minnesota.
SO IS DARBOH
Wide receiver Amara Darboh, who missed much of training camp injured this month, was out again. This time it was for an issue with his clavicle, Carroll said.
The new injury plus 2016 seventh-round pick David Moore and former Arizona Cardinal Jaron Brown impressing against the Chargers last weekend, Darboh doesn’t have the finest chance of beginning season on the 53-man roster. The second-year receiver could start it on injured reserve.
