The Seahawks are getting a versatile piece of their offensive line back for the closing stretch of the season, with Ethan Pocic being activated from injured reserve on Saturday.
Running back Rashaad Penny was placed on injured reserve, an expected move following the season-ending ACL injury he sustained in last week's game at Los Angeles.
Pocic, a second-round pick out of LSU in 2017, was placed on injured reserve in Week 6 due to a back injury. He returned to practice ahead of Seattle's Week 13 game against Minnesota, and became eligible to return to the 53-man roster this week after missing the required eight games while on injured reserve.
"He has had a really good return to us," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said after Friday's practice. "… We're glad to have Ethan back. He has been a really versatile player for us, he has worked really hard to get back, he feels great. He's been practicing for three weeks putting it together, so he's ready to go."
Due to injuries, Pocic has appeared in just two games this year, starting the opener at left guard. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie, starting 11 games, five at left guard and six at right guard. He appeared in 10 games last year, starting four.
While Pocic's NFL experience has been at guard, he brings versatility, having played center and tackle at LSU. Pocic's extensive experience at center—he started 37 games there in college—is particularly significant given that starting center Justin Britt is on injured reserve. Joey Hunt has played well there in Britt's absence, but experienced depth at that position could prove helpful at some point.
The Seattle Seahawks face the Carolina Panthers at Lumen Field for Week 14 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at photos from previous games between the two teams.