RENTON — The likelihood of Jamal Adams returning to play for the Seahawks this week continues to drop.
And Chris Carson’s chances seem down there with Adams’.
The All-Pro safety and Seattle’s lead running back both missed practice and were nowhere in sight again in the 20 minutes the media was permitted to watch practice Thursday. Six other starters — if you count nickel defensive back Ugo Amadiâ — were also out from practice because of injuries three days before the Seahawks (5-1) host NFC West-rival San Francisco (4-3).
Of those who missed practice, only left tackle Duane Brown seems very likely to play against the 49ers. He’s been getting Wednesdays and Thursdays off all season, because he’s coming off winter knee surgery and he’s 35 years old.
Carson sprained his foot Sunday night in Seattle’s overtime loss at Arizona. Coach Pete Carroll said this week a magnetic resonance imaging examination showed “something” in the middle of Carson’s foot. That and Carson’s complete absences from practices the last two days suggest the team will treat him and preserve him this weekend so he can play in November, December and, they hope, January.
The Seahawks have been on a similarly conservative tack with Adams. He hasn’t practice since he strained his groin Sept. 27 during Seattle’s win over Dallas.
Ryan Neal has started for Adams for the last month. He continued practicing for Adams Thursday, though on a limited basis. Neal has a hamstring injury.
Benson Mayowa playing as many as 90% of snaps in games at defensive end early this season could be some of the reason he hasn’t practiced this week. Last week the team’s co-leader in sacks (with two) took some practice time off with a listed knee issue. He played 53 of 84 (63%) of the snaps in Arizona.
Part of the reason the Seahawks pursued and traded for two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Carlos Dunlap from Cincinnati Wednesday was to lessen Mayowa’s workload on a needy pass rush.
Benson had eight sacks last year (for the Raiders) in less than 300 snaps, you know. And he’s already played that many snaps (this season),” Carroll said. “So we had not intended him to play as much as he’s had to play to keep him fresh in it, like he was a year ago. We thought he was really effective.”
Dunlap did not practice. He was on day one of a six-day protocol for COVID-19 testing before he can enter his new team’s facility. The Seahawks get an exemption on the 53-man active roster until he clears the testing, which is expected to happen Wednesday so he can make his Seattle debut Nov. 8 at Buffalo.
Carlos Hyde and Travis Homer missed practice again. Hyde injured his hamstring celebrating a touchdown against the Cardinals, after he replaced the injured Carson. Carroll had said the team hoped Hyde’s injury was minor.
Homer has a bruised knee. His coach thought there was a chance the third-down back would recover more quickly than Carson or Hyde.
The only other running back on the team, active roster and practice squad, is also hurting some. Rookie DeeJay Dallas is listed with an arm injury, but he practiced fully Thursday. He had to play all of overtime after Carson, Hyde and Homer got hurt at Arizona. The Cardinals’ blitzing overwhelmed the rookie.
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said the injuries to the top three running backs have made this a, um, challenging week.
“We’ve got a bunch of different things that could come up…it’s been an interesting week of practice,” Seattle’s play caller said, adding he and the offensive will continue to be “creative.”
That could mean fly sweeps to wide receivers Tyler Lockett and David Moore are part of the Seahawks’ patchwork running game Sunday.
Schottenheimer said the rookie Dallas owned his mistakes against Arizona and has had a strong week rebounding from them. Quarterback Russell Wilson said Dallas “probably” will get more playing time against the 49ers.
Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin remains in the NFL concussion protocol he started Sunday night after he left the Cardinals game. That protocol, plus his hamstring issue, seem likely to take him out of Sunday’s game. Tre Flowers would start with Quinton Dunbar at cornerback.
If Amadi can’t play as the fifth, nickel defensive back because of his hamstring injury, replacement options include former Green Bay Packers starter Damarious Randall and ex-Miami Dolphin Linden Stephens.
Left guard Mike Iupati remains out with the back issue that had Jordan Simmons start for him at Arizona. Simmons is on track to start again versus San Francisco.
