The Seahawks didn't appear to suffer any serious injuries in Sunday's game at Arizona, but they did come out of their Week 7 loss with some injuries that could affect availability in the short-term, particularly at running back.
Chris Carson left the game in the first half with a foot sprain that has him "week to week," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, while Travis Homer was unable to finish due to a knee bruise. Carlos Hyde handled lead-back duties in Carson's absence and played well, but he's now dealing with hamstring tightness.
"Chris has a mid-foot sprain, there something there we could see (on the MRI), so we just have to go week-to-week and see what happens," Carroll said. "He was real determined to say 'I can go with it,' but we won't know until the end of the week for sure."
Carroll added that Homer, who also handles kick returns, "has a bruised knee, not a knee injury, so that's something he has a chance to recover from."
When talking about Hyde's productive game, Carroll added to the end of his answer, "if Carlos is available to us, which we're hoping he is, then we feel like we can keep the tempo going if Chris can't make it." Asked later about that statement, Carroll clarified that Hyde came out of the game with hamstring tightness: "He did have a little tightness in the hammy that we're watching."
While none of the players mentioned above have been ruled out for Sunday's game as of now, those injuries do mean that rookie DeeJay Dallas is the only fully healthy back on the roster, and if more than one of those three backs were unavailable, the Seahawks would be pretty thin at running back when they play the 49ers on Sunday. Further complicating the issue is that, due to COVID-19 protocols call for free agents to go through a six-day entry testing process before they can practice, meaning even if they brought a player in on Monday, that player could not practice the entire week.
"It's really difficult," Carroll said of adding outside help that could play the same week. "This is really difficult to do that, to get guys in here in time where they could actually practice and have a chance to even be familiar with taking the handoff. So we have some things that we can do if we need to. We're going to take it one day at a time and see if our guys can get back in who can get back, with a couple of creative thoughts going forward that will keep in-house for now."
The Seahawks should get a big boost at running back at some point soon when Rashaad Penny comes off of the physically unable to perform list, but that isn't likely to happen this week seeing as Penny has not yet returned to practice. '
"I saw him working out today, and he looked pretty good," Carroll said. "That's on the docs, we've got to wait and see what they say. I don't have the timeline on that. But he was working out on the grass and he was running hard today, so he's getting close."
The other injury to come out of Sunday's loss was a concussion that took cornerback Shaquill Griffin out of the game in the second half. As is always the case with concussions, Griffin has to pass the league's concussion protocol before he can play, a process that takes multiple days, meaning there will be not clarity on his status until Thursday at the earliest, Carroll said.
"Shaquill suffered a concussion, and he's got a little hammy thing that's going to nag him a little bit too, so we've got to see how he does," Carroll said. "This is really up to the docs in taking care of him through the process. Probably by Thursday we'll know what's going on."
In other injury news, the Seahawks are hoping to get All-Pro safety Jamal Adams back soon, but it's not clear yet if that will happen this week.
"I don't know that yet," Carroll said. "I talked to him on Saturday before we left, and his workouts are going great and all that. He really wants to get back, but he's going to have to show it that he's capable of doing all the stuff that we need to do football-wise. Because he's so close to being back, I think this will carry into the late in the week and we'll see if it works out. But I can't tell you, conclusively right now."
The Seahawks will also likely get Rasheem Green, who has been on injured reserve since Week 2, back on the practice field, Carroll said, but that would be with an eye on a return the following week, not for this week's game against the 49ers.
"Rasheem is ready to come back to practice this week with the opportunity to play next week," Carroll said.
Receiver Phillip Dorsett II, who has been on IR all season, isn't quite back to practicing yet, but is running at a "90 percent clip."
The best photos from Week 7's Seahawks-Cardinals game at State Farm Stadium. Fueled by Nesquik.
Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson (32) runs with the ball during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) jumps to make a catch while Arizona Cardinals cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (33) makes the tackle an NFL football game on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) throws the ball into the stands during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (30) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (30) celebrates his touchdown with teammate David Moore (83) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Seattle Seahawks tight end Will Dissly (89) runs the ball during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf tackles Arizona Cardinals strong safety Budda Baker (32) short of the goal line after Baker intercepted a pass during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looks to pass during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
during an NFL football game against the XXXX on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett, left, pulls in a touchdown catch as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) celebrates a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws the ball during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks strong safety Ryan Neal (35) eyes Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looks on during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks free safety D.J. Reed (39) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks strong safety Quandre Diggs (37) celebrates with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Ryan Neal (35) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) reacts during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks running back DeeJay Dallas (31) runs the ball during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks running back DeeJay Dallas (31) runs the ball during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) pulls in a touchdown pass as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (20) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) makes a catch during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) talks with Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Shaquem Griffin (49) during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (30) runs the ball during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Ryan Neal (35) celebrates as Arizona Cardinals punter Andy Lee (4) and Arizona Cardinals place kicker Zane Gonzalez (5) react during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
Arizona Cardinals place kicker Zane Gonzalez (5) makes a kick during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Alika Jenner/NFL)
