The Seahawks head into Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals with a few players whose statuses won't be known until game day. What the Seahawks won't do, head coach Pete Carroll said, is make determinations on players' availability based on the knowledge that they've already secured a playoff berth.
"It has nothing to do with that," Carroll said following Friday's practice.
The Seahawks are almost certain to be without left guard J.R. Sweezy, who left last week's game with a foot injury and who is listed as doubtful. The hope, however, is that Sweezy can be back by next week's Wild Card playoff game.
"Sweezy improved during the week," Carroll said. "He got really good, consistent information in the checks that we made around the country on what he has. It's an unusual little thing that he's dealing with. It's real uncomfortable, he's got some swelling that he's dealing with. It's probably a three-to-four week recovery for most people, and he's going to do it in two weeks. He'll be ready next week."
Seattle's other starting guard, D.J. Fluker will work out before the game to determine if he is good to go. Fluker, who is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, missed two games because of the injury, then was active but did not start last week, only to have to play after Sweezy left the game with an injury.
"Fluke's game day," Carroll said. "But he made real progress this week and he did some things that helped him so we're looking forward to him being ready to go if he can make it through the Sunday workout."
Also expected to work out before the game to determine if they can play are free safety Tedric Thompson (ankle) and running back Rashaad Penny (knee). Thompson, who was also dealing with a chest issue that has since cleared up, did not play last week, while Penny has missed the past two games.
On Thompson's injury, Carroll said, "He's got an irritation in the back of his ankle, kind of around his Achilles. It's not an Achilles injury, but we thought it was for a little bit. He just hasn't quite made it through it to our satisfaction yet, but he's going to try and we'll take a look at him on Sunday."
On Penny, Carroll said, "He practiced all week, and we'll find out and make sure. He'll have a workout on Sunday also."
Two veteran starters who have been battling injuries for much of the season, safety Bradley McDougald and receiver Doug Baldwin, got through the week well and should be good to go Sunday.
McDougald, who has been dealing with a knee injury for much of the year, was held out of practice Wednesday and Thursday, but Carroll said, "He practiced today. He did fine."
Baldwin, who already this season has dealt with injuries to both knees, his elbow, his groin and his hip, was added to the practice report this week with a shoulder injury, but Carroll said Baldwin "did fine. He made it through the week. He continues to carry stuff that's happened to him during the season, but he has been just a rock and he's ready to go."
Here are the full injury reports for both teams:
Seattle Seahawks
Doubtful
G J.R. Sweezy (foot, did not participate in practice).
Questionable
G D.J. Fluker (hamstring, did not participate in practice)
S Bradley McDougald (knee, full participation in practice)
DE Dion Jordan (knee, limited participation in practice)
S Tedric Thompson (ankle, limited participation in practice)
RB Rashaad Penny (knee, full participation in practice)
Arizona Cardinals
Out
TE Ricky Seals-Jones (shoulder, did not participate in practice)
Questionable
DE Markus Golden (ankle, did not participate in practice)
DE Benson Mayowa (back/neck, did not participate in practice)
The Seahawks face the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium for Week 9 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at photos from previous games between the two teams.
Phoenix Cardinals quarterback Gary Hogeboom can't find a receiver due to heavy defensive pressure from Seattle Seahawks (92) David Wyman and (72) Joe Nash during action in their pre-season game, Aug. 12, 1989 in Tempe, Arizona. The Seahawks proved too much for the Cardinals after the game went into overtime and lost 16-10. (AP Photo/Chad Surmick)
Running back Ron Moore (30) of the Phoenix Cardinals is held to a one yard gain as he is tackled by Cortez Kennedy (96) of the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 19, 1993. Watching the play is Joe Wolf (68) of the Cardinals. Phoenix beat Seattle in overtime, 30-27. (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Arizona Cardinals' Chris Gedney (84) takes in a pass while in the grasp of Seattle Seahawks' Fred Thomas (22), Sept. 13, 1998 in Seattle. The play went 23 yards but wasn't enough as Seattle won the game 33-14. (AP Photo/Jay Drowns)
Seattle Seahawks' Shawn Springs (24) intercepts a pass from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer in the second quarter Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. Seahawks' Reggie Williams, lower left, and Jeff George, far right, watch as Cardinals' Frank Sanders (81), Jason McAddley, top left, and Steve Bush, right rear, defend. It was the second interception of the half for Plummer. (AP Photo/Rob Schumacher)
Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Engram returns a punt for 48 yards with Arizona Cardinals' Quentin Harris chasing during the second quarter in Seattle Sunday Dec. 26, 2004. The return set up the first Seattle touchdown as it went on to win, 24-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Shaun Alexander dives into the end zone from the one-yard line for a touchdown with Arizona Cardinals' Adrian Wilson defending during the third quarter, in Seattle, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005. Alexander scored four touchdowns in the 37-12 win over the Cardinals. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner loses control of the ball but regains control as he is sacked by Seattle Seahawks' Darryl Tapp during the fourth quarter of a football game in Seattle, in this Sept. 17, 2006 file photo. One week after Warner was named NFC offensive player of the week in Arizona's season-opening victory over San Francisco, he was blamed, in part, by his coach for the offense's struggles in Sunday's 21-10 loss at Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals' Matt Leinart, center, gets a pass off as he is hit by Seattle Seahawks' Patrick Kerney, left, and Darryl Tapp in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 23-20. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals' Ralph Brown (20) knocks the ball away from intended receiver Seattle Seahawks' Koren Robinson in the end zone in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals in action against the Seattle Seahawks, November 15, 2009.
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch (24) leaves Arizona Cardinals' Greg Toler in the dust on a first-half run in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 22-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Sidney Rice, left, runs on a 23-yard pass reception as Arizona Cardinals' Kerry Rhodes (25) is kept back by Seahawks' Anthony McCoy, right, and Zach Miller in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 13-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb (4) gets off a pass as Seattle Seahawks' Jason Jones (90) closes in after getting past Cardinals' Adam Snyder (68) during an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 20-16. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Seattle Seahawks' Zach Miller, right, makes a catch for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals' Curtis Taylor (37) is near in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals' wide receiver Michael Floyd, right, as Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker K.J. Wright (50) looks on in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Brittan Golden (10) is hit by Seattle Seahawks cornerback DeAndre Elliott (21) and defensive back Neiko Thorpe (27) during the second half of a football game, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Referee Walt Coleman tosses the coin before an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Mike Davis (27) dives in for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker (36) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) catches the football in the end zone during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Seattle. The touchdown was later ruled incomplete. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 27-13. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (30) rushes against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny heads for the end zone with a 62-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
