With a banged-up offense heading into Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings, the Seattle Seahawks got positive news in the form of injury updates surrounding Geno Smith and Kenneth Walker III, per Adam Schefter on X.
“Seahawks QB Geno Smith and RB Kenneth Walker III are off the injury report and good to go for Sunday’s game versus the Vikings,” Schefter wrote, giving Seahawks fans comfortability entering Sunday's matchup.
Though both players were on the team's injury report from Wednesday until Friday, Walker's game-time status had more question marks than Smith's.
Walker was nursing a calf injury that caused him to miss Wednesday's practice entirely after being sidelined in Weeks 14 and 15.
But, after back-to-back full practices from Walker on Thursday and Friday, he's expected to play against the Vikings.
Smith, however, appears fully ready to go after leaving Week 15 early with a knee injury. But, with an entire week of full practice from Smith, he's also expected to be a full-go on Sunday against the Vikings.
Seahawks' offense missed Geno Smith, Kenneth Walker III in Packers loss
The last time Smith and Walker shared the field was in Week 13 when the New York Jets defeated the Seahawks 26-21.
And while Zach Charbonnet stepped in wonderfully in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals, the absence of Smith and Walker was wildly evident against the Packers.
Smith exited the game after going 15-for-19 with 149 yards and an interception. However, once Howell entered the game, the Seahawks' offense saw a hard decline in production.
Against the Packers in Week 15, Howell completed just five passes for 24 yards, adding an interception and four sacks to his stat sheet.
After being the most-sacked quarterback in the league in 2023 (65 sacks), his first true appearance in 2024 showed a lot of the same from Howell.
And as the Seahawks lead the NFC West, their sites are set on getting one of the top four positions in the 2024 NFL Playoff Picture.
Finishing their regular season against the Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams, the health of both Smith and Walker will play a crucial factor in their playoff seeding.
