TOP STORIES
Injury
One Game Into the Nelson Era, the Knee Needs a Cleanup
Quenton Nelson will miss Sunday’s game against Arizona and have a “minor” procedure on his knee, Mike Macdonald announced Friday. He’s week to week, and he is not going on injured reserve. NFL Network reports the surgery will clean out cartilage fragments that had been bothering him. One game into the Nelson era, we’ve reached intermission.
Macdonald’s version: “He had something that he was dealing with when he got here and we re-imaged it and it was aggravated to some degree.” In other words, the knee came over from Indianapolis with the guard. Nelson passed his physical, and per the Spokesman-Review he was on last week’s injury report with the knee while practicing fully all three days. So Seattle knew there was something in there. It just didn’t plan on a cleanup a week later.
The one game we did get was good. Nelson played all 63 offensive snaps against Chicago and posted a 92.6 run-blocking grade from PFF. Seattle still ran for 81 yards. A great guard on a bad night is about as 2026 Seahawks as it gets.
63
Offensive snaps Nelson played in his only Seahawks game. He was out there for every one.
Grey Zabel slides back to left guard, and Anthony Bradford returns at right guard. Bradford lost that job to Nelson and called it a “no-brainer.” Now he gets it back because of the same knee. Charles Cross is out too, so Sunday’s left side is Josh Jones and Zabel, blocking for a quarterback whose elbow is on the injury report.
Seattle paid Indianapolis a 2027 third and a 2028 fifth, and Nelson, 30, can be a free agent after the season. Week to week isn’t a disaster, but the clock on a rental keeps running while the knee heals. I still like the trade. I’d like it more with the guard in it.
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Quarterbacks
Lock Gets Arizona Again, and the QB Debate Is Already Warming Up
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That’s why NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has already been asked when Lock deserves a real look at the job. “I actually think it’s pretty simple,” Jeremiah said on Brock and Salk. “Drew’s playing well. Let’s ride this thing.” His reasoning: the bye is close, Seattle could hold Darnold out of the Raiders game too, and nobody has to pick a starter for the rest of the season off one Sunday.
The same article includes the caveat. Lock’s start came against Arizona’s NFL-worst scoring defense, while Darnold has faced four of the league’s top 11. Beating the worst defense in football twice is a quirk of the schedule, not an audition. So if Lock throws for 300 on Sunday, enjoy it, and then remember who he did it against.
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AROUND THE COOP
Around the Coop
Gardner Minshew starts at Lumen on Sunday, back in the state where he led Washington State to a school-record 11 wins. One of his old Cougar teammates was Seahawks tackle Abe Lucas. It’s a lovely reunion, though only one of them gets blocked for. KOMO News
John Schneider said Monday that Seattle is “still talking to several teams” before Tuesday’s deadline, and Jarran Reed’s name has been in the chatter. Leonard Williams and Brandon Pili are both out Sunday. Trading Reed this week would leave the interior to Byron Murphy II and hope. Seattle Sports
Seven Seahawks are ruled out, and Bob Stelton still calls Arizona a “no excuse” game. He’s right. Seattle has beaten the Cardinals ten straight times. Injuries explain things. They don’t excuse anything. Seattle Sports
NFC WEST SCHADENFREUDE REPORT
RAMS
Friday morning, Sean McVay said tight end Terrance Ferguson was expected to play Sunday in Washington, barring any setbacks. Ferguson then picked up a hamstring injury in Friday’s practice and was ruled out on the updated report. The setback showed up the same afternoon, right on schedule. To be fair, McVay did include the disclaimer. He just didn’t expect it to come into play before dinner.
NINERS
Brandon Aiyuk and his agent met with 49ers officials Friday about getting reinstated. Kyle Shanahan’s preview: “No clue. Your guess is as good as mine. I [couldn’t] care less.” He added that anything with “zero to do with our football team” gets “zero thoughts” from him. This is the coach who spent the week getting turned down by a receiver over FaceTime. Zero thoughts, plenty of feelings.
CARDINALS
Arizona ruled out starting left tackle Jayden Williams (knee) and right guard Jon Gaines II (ankle) for Sunday. Williams only got the job after Paris Johnson Jr. tore his biceps in October, so the Cardinals could be on their third left tackle of the season, with Josh Fryar the leading candidate. Gardner Minshew’s homecoming comes with a protection plan in pencil. I’d laugh harder if our left tackle weren’t out too.
SEACHICKENS TRIVIA
In March 2015, Seattle traded this center and a first-round pick to New Orleans for tight end Jimmy Graham and a fourth-rounder. Who is he?
Tap to Reveal the Answer
Max Unger. The pick Seattle gave up was No. 31 overall, and John Schneider still lists the deal among his regrets.
THIS DAY IN SEAHAWKS HISTORY
1976
November 7, 1976
The First Win at the Kingdome
The expansion Seahawks got their first win in their own building, beating Atlanta 30-13 at the Kingdome. Jim Zorn threw touchdown passes to Sherman Smith and John McMakin, Al Matthews ran an interception back 40 yards for a score, and Smith added a 53-yard touchdown run. That 1976 team didn’t get many nice afternoons, so this one counts double.
Got a Take? Send It In.
Bradford’s revenge tour, Lock-or-Darnold, whether Schneider should ask for the MRI first next time. Leave a comment on our posts and The Rooster might answer it in a future Mailbag.
Ten straight over Arizona. Go get eleven. — The Rooster