By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times
RENTON — It’s early in the week, and there is still time for players to get healthy for Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field.
The Seahawks’ injury report for Wednesday listed five offensive linemen — all of whom could project as starters for Sunday — as sitting out or limited.
Center Evan Brown (hip) and right tackle Jake Curhan (ankle) sat out. Left tackle Charles Cross (ankle), left guard Damien Lewis (ankle) and left/right guard Phil Haynes (calf) were limited.
Coach Pete Carroll led off his Wednesday news conference noting he’d need to wait until later in the week to make proclamations of who will or won’t play.
Players limited this early in the week often get to full participation later in the week.
Still, it’s an ominous report for a unit that struggled in Sunday’s 17-13 loss to the Bengals more than it had at any time since the season-opening loss to the Rams.
Lewis sat out the loss to the Bengals and was replaced by Haynes, with rookie Anthony Bradford taking Haynes’ spot at right guard. Haynes, Brown, Curhan and Cross each played all 74 snaps (as did Bradford).
It was Cross’ first game back since suffering a toe injury against the Rams, so the ankle injury is something new. Carroll implied it’s not serious, saying, “He made it through (Sunday’s game) and came out OK.”
The Seahawks won’t get second-year right tackle Abe Lucas back this week. He is eligible to come off injured reserve after re-aggravating a knee injury against the Rams. Carroll said a flat “no” when asked if he’ll return this week.
Veteran Jason Peters, who is on the practice squad, is dealing with a quad injury. Players on the practice squad are not included on the injury report, and because of that, Carroll said he would stay vague about the seriousness of Peters’ injury. He said only, “We’ll find it out. I don’t know that yet” when asked if Peters might be available for Sunday.
The 20-year vet and nine-time Pro Bowler has yet to play for the Seahawks after signing to the practice squad following the Rams game, when the injuries to Lucas and Cross occurred.
The fact that almost everyone on the line was banged up might have played a role in a rough game against the Bengals, who had four sacks and 21 total pressures.
Curhan, who has started the past four games in place of Lucas, led the way with seven pressures allowed, while Cross and Haynes allowed four each, Bradford three and Brown two.
The only offensive lineman with an above average pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus was Brown at 75.5. The rest were: Cross 54.4; Bradford 43.8; Curhan 33.2 and Haynes 25.3.
Earlier this week, Carroll didn’t deny that the line struggled.
“Cincinnati was able to take advantage of us a little bit at times,” he said. “They threw some really good pressures at us, like they do; this is no surprise. They have a real variety of things, but it made everybody have to be right on point. There were times it just got knocked down a little bit.”
Thompson joins 53-man roster
The Seahawks signed receiver Cody Thompson off the practice squad to the 53-man roster Wednesday to fill a spot created on Saturday when the team placed defensive back Coby Bryant on injured reserve.
Bryant has not played since the Detroit game with a toe injury and has to sit out three more games before being eligible to return.
Carroll said Bryant will not need surgery, but that “they’ve already done some stuff” to the toe, indicating a procedure of some other sort.
“It’s just taking a while for the injury,” Carroll said. “That’s all. We can’t rush him, and we have to do it right. He had a similar injury before; it’s not the same one, and it took quite a while too. This is the way we’ve gauged it to make sure we ensure his return.”
Thompson began the season on the 53-man and played the first three games, then returned to the practice squad for the last two. He was elevated for each game to the 53 to serve as the fifth receiver and a special-teamer. By NFL rules, he could have been elevated only one more time before he would have had to go on the 53.
The Seahawks released quarterback Holton Ahlers off the practice squad, re-signed offensive lineman Greg Eiland and signed receiver Cody White to fill out the practice squad.
White played in 15 games for the Steelers in 2021 and another in 2022 with six catches for 35 yards. White, who played at Michigan State and entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020, was waived as injured by the Steelers in August and had a tryout with the Seahawks on Tuesday.
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