Seahawks face six-starter absences for Cardinals game
Quenton Nelson requires knee surgery one week after trade, while Drew Lock returns to the starting quarterback role against Arizona.
By Anthony Shevchenko ·
The Seattle Seahawks enter Sunday's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals with six starters sidelined, including All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson and quarterback Sam Darnold. Head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed the absences on Friday, noting that the team will rely on backup options across the offensive line and quarterback position. The Seahawks, holding a 4-4 record, face the 3-5 Cardinals at Lumen Field with a depleted roster.
Nelson, 30, was traded from the Indianapolis Colts to Seattle on October 30 in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. He played every offensive snap in the team's loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Following that game, he was listed as a limited participant and missed the past two practices. Macdonald stated that Nelson will undergo a minor procedure to clean out cartilage in his knee. The coach added that Nelson will not be placed on injured reserve and will be designated as week-to-week. Macdonald explained that Nelson had a pre-existing issue that was aggravated since arriving in Seattle, and the medical team agreed it was best to address it now.
Darnold, who has a quad injury, is also out for Sunday. He suffered a cracked rib on the second play of the Monday game and later injured his quad. Like Nelson, Darnold will remain active but is not expected to play. The Seahawks will start Drew Lock at quarterback. Lock has a right elbow injury that kept him inactive in the last two games and limited his throwing reps. He was listed as a limited participant in Friday's practice, a status he has held on every injury report since Week 6 began. Macdonald said the team managed Lock's workload this week as a precaution.
In the absence of Nelson, the offensive line will shift. Grey Zabel moves back to left guard, while Anthony Bradford returns to the starting lineup at right guard. Zabel had been moved to right guard when Nelson arrived, displacing Bradford. Josh Jones will start at left tackle in place of Charles Cross, who has an ankle injury. Cross missed the Bears game and did not practice this week.
Other starters ruled out include defensive tackle Leonard Williams with a stinger, outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu with an ankle injury, and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed with a knee issue. Williams went down in the third quarter of the Monday game, while the other two missed that contest entirely. Nwosu was the only one of the four to practice, though he was limited on Wednesday. The team also signed former United Football League MVP Adrian Martinez to the practice squad this week to provide quarterback depth.
The Seahawks will face the Cardinals on Sunday. Backup defensive tackle Brandon Pili is out with a back injury, and backup outside linebacker Connor O'Toole is questionable with a foot issue. The team has managed its roster to ensure key players are available for the upcoming schedule, with Lock expected to lead the offense despite his elbow concerns.
