The Seahawks offensive line depth will be tested when they face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Starting left tackle Duane Brown (biceps) and right guard D.J. Fluker (hamstring) are both doubtful for Sunday's game, while reserve center/guard Ethan Pocic has been ruled out with a back injury.
Brown's injury occurred during Seattle's Week 3 loss to New Orleans, but he has managed to play the past two games with the injury.
"He's going to go in doubtful right now," Carroll said. "That means that when you're as optimistic as I am, there's a chance. There's a chance. He couldn't practice today."
Carroll added that the injury is "not responding as well as we had hoped," and praised Brown for being able to make it through last week's win over the Rams.
"That was heroic," Carroll said. "He just toughed it out. It was hard and really uncomfortable for him, but he just wouldn't say anything about it and finished the game, got it done. He was hurt and he knew it and played with it and made it through it. We have to take care of him. Sometimes, the guys are so tough they don't let us know what's going on—that's not the right way to say that; it isn't that he didn't let us know—but he just toughed his way through it and that's what happened. Couldn't have been more admirable the way he pulled off a great game for us."
Fluker injured his hamstring early in last week's win over the Rams and was replaced by second-year pro Jamarco Jones, who played very well in that game and would now appear to be in line to make his first start.
This will mark the fourth straight game missed for Pocic.
"He didn't practice today, he didn't get through today, so we're trying to figure out what we're going to do next," Carroll said.
If Fluker and Brown indeed don't play, that would leave the Seahawks with only six healthy linemen, though there are three offensive linemen on the practice squad who could be options to add to the 53-man roster between now and Sunday: guard Jordan Roos, tackle Elijah Nkansah and guard/center Kyle Fuller.
Running back Rashaad Penny is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, though he was able to practice fully on Friday. Fellow running back Chris Carson showed up on the practice report Thursday with a shoulder injury, but was not included on the final injury designations, meaning he is good to go.
"He came back," Carroll said of Carson. "He's fine today. Practiced the whole thing today."
Here are the injury reports for both teams:
Seattle Seahawks
Out
G Ethan Pocic (mid back, did not participate in practice)
Doubtful
T Duane Brown (biceps, did not participate in practice)
G D.J. Fluker (hamstring, did not participate in practice)
Questionable
RB Rashaad Penny (hamstring, full participation in practice)
Cleveland Browns
Questionable
T Kendall Lamm (knee, limited participation in practice)
CB Denzel Ward (hamstring, limited participation in practice)
CB Greedy Williams (hamstring, limited participation in practice)
The Seahawks and Browns face off on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT. Take a look back through history at the Seahawks' matchups against the Browns.