-
Brady Henderson, ESPN
Seattle Seahawks star wide receiver DK Metcalf suffered a Grade 1 MCL sprain, coach Mike Macdonald said Monday.
A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier Monday that Metcalf was considered week-to-week. Macdonald, in a videoconference with reporters later in the day, did not rule out the possibility of Metcalf playing in the Seahawks’ Week 8 game against the Buffalo Bills in Seattle, describing his injury as “minor.”
“Timeline, I’m not sure,” Macdonald said. “It doesn’t look like it’s a long-term injury and I know you guys know DK, we know DK — he’s going to probably do anything humanly possible to be able to play in this game, I would imagine. We’ll assess it as the week kind of unfolds here.”
Metcalf, whose 568 receiving yards are second most in the NFL this season, was hurt late in the third quarter of Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons while attempting to make a sideline catch. The Fox broadcast later showed a replay of the receiver recoiling in discomfort as the Seahawks’ team physician moved his right knee while examining it on the sideline.
Metcalf was announced as questionable to return and was taken into the locker room on the back of an injury cart midway through the fourth quarter, with an ice wrap over his right knee.
Before his injury, Metcalf caught four passes for 99 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown near the end of the first half. He has three TDs on 35 catches in seven games as well as two lost fumbles.
The Seahawks ended their three-game losing streak Sunday despite missing several key players in their secondary and starting their fourth option at right tackle.
Macdonald said the team was hoping to have Riq Woolen (ankle) back at practice in some capacity Wednesday, but that the status of fellow cornerback Tre Brown (ankle) was uncertain. Woolen, a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2022, sat out the past two games, and Brown didn’t play against Atlanta.
The Seahawks’ situation at right tackle is also uncertain.
Macdonald said Monday he wasn’t sure yet whether George Fant would return to practice this week, having acknowledged postgame that it was a possibility. Macdonald also said Abe Lucas could be designated to return to practice this week.
Lucas has been on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Signed in free agency to fill in for Lucas, Fant hurt his knee in the opener and was put on injured reserve in Week 3. Stone Forsythe started five games in Fant’s absence but hurt his hand in Week 6, which pressed rookie sixth-round pick Mike Jerrell into the starting lineup Sunday.
Macdonald said Jerrell, Fant and Forsythe were all potentially in play to start against Buffalo and that Lucas was still several weeks away from being game-ready.
“There is a situation where he could come back and start practicing this week, but we haven’t finalized that yet,” Macdonald said of Lucas. “But it’s looking good … with Abe. When he does come back, there is a process to get him ready to play. So even if he could start to practice, I think you’re looking at a good chunk of practice time to get him ready to go play a game.”