The Seattle Seahawks must swiftly place Sunday’s disappointing home defeat to the New York Giants behind them. There’s no rest for the wicked as the Seahawks prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football. It’s Seattle’s first NFC West showdown of the campaign, and Mike Macdonald’s squad will put its division lead at risk.
The Seahawks held a walkthrough on Monday as opposed to a traditional practice. Several key defenders were limited or missing altogether. Pass rushers Derick Hall (foot) and Uchenna Nwosu (thigh) did not participate, nor did rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (hamstring), and cornerback Riq Woolen (ankle). Boye Mafe (knee), and safeties Julian Love (hamstring) and Rayshawn Jenkins (hand) were limited.
Coach Macdonald has already ruled out Nwosu. Nwosu will miss his sixth consecutive game despite not being placed on IR to begin the season. His injury is obviously taken significantly longer to heal than originally anticipated.
Murphy II is also expected to remain sidelined on Thursday due to the quick turnaround. Murphy was injured in the Week 3 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The former Texas Longhorns standout has recorded half a sack and seven pressures this season as a first-year contributor.
Hall and Woolen should see their statuses updated during Tuesday’s practice. Hall leads the Seahawks in sacks with five quarterback takedowns, so his participation on Thursday is imperative. Woolen is Seattle’s No. 1 cornerback and his absence would leave the secondary susceptible to the threats posed by Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
Limited participation for Mafe, Love, and Jenkins indicates they’re on track to play Thursday, but their practice involvement will be worth monitoring on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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