Despite optimism earlier in the week about his recovery from an MCL sprain, the Seattle Seahawks will be without star receiver DK Metcalf for a second straight game with the team officially ruling him out for Sunday's home matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.
Along with Metcalf being ruled out, after suffering a groin injury during the practice week, Seattle won't have starting tight end Noah Fant against Los Angeles either, while defensive tackle Cameron Young will miss a second consecutive game with a lingering knee injury.
Injured while trying to corral a leaping catch in the fourth quarter against the Falcons two weeks ago, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald indicated on Wednesday that the team was confident Metcalf would be able to return to practice at some point this week against play against the Rams. However, he had a far more ominous update on his weekly radio show on KIRO 97.3 on Friday morning, calling his status "cloudy" as the team evaluates him day to day.
Now, Metcalf will miss consecutive games for the first time in his NFL career, leaving Seattle without its top target on the outside. In his absence, the team will once again turn to reserve receivers Jake Bobo and Laviska Shenault to help pick up the slack, while Dareke Young will also be active and available to see some snaps on offense.
With Fant set to miss his first game of the season, the Seahawks could elevate veteran Tyler Mabry from the practice squad for the first time this season as a reserve option behind Pharaoh Brown, rookie AJ Barner, and Brady Russell. The ex-Maryland standout previously has suited up for eight regular season games, catching one pass for seven yards and a touchdown.
Seattle has been without Young for most of the season, as the second-year defensive tackle opened the year on the PUP list and played in two games before recurring knee trouble kept him out last weekend. The team didn't make any corresponding moves from the practice squad to help replace him last week, but veteran Quinton Bohanna could be an option to elevate if needed on Sunday.
In additional injury news, recently acquired linebacker Ernest Jones popped up on the Seahawks final injury report with a neck injury and received a questionable designation, putting his status up in the air for Sunday. If he somehow isn't able to play against his former team, rookie Tyrice Knight or Drake Thomas would earn the start in his place, while Patrick O'Connell could be an option to promote from the practice squad for insurance depth.
As expected, Seattle also ruled out tackle Abraham Lucas, who returned to practice last week and has yet to be activated from the PUP list to the 53-man roster. The team hopes to have him back after the Week 10 bye as he rounds back into game shape following offseason knee surgery. On the plus side, veteran George Fant wasn't listed on the final report and the team could make a move to activate him from injured reserve to start on Sunday.
