The Seahawks activated tackle Chad Wheeler from their practice squad ahead of Sunday's opener in Atlanta, giving them depth at that spot with Cedric Ogbuehi ruled out and Jamarco Jones listed as questionable.
Ogbuehi, who has a pectoral injury, was ruled out on Friday, while Jones was added to the injury report Saturday as questionable due to illness. If Jones is unable to go, that would have left the Seahawks without a backup tackle behind Duane Brown and Brandon Shell prior to adding Wheeler.
Wheeler, who first joined the Seahawks as a member of the practice squad last season, came into the league as an undrafted free agent out of USC and started 19 games for the New York Giants in 2017 and 2018.
Unlike in past years where the Seahawks would have needed to make a corresponding move to get Wheeler to the active roster, no move is needed to get him on the 53-man roster for Sunday's game. In a new rule put in place this year, teams are allowed to elevate up to two players for a game, essentially creating a temporary 55-man roster, and those players can then go back to the practice squad after the game without having to pass through waivers.
