Skip to main content
Advertising
Presented by

Seahawks Mailbag: Throwbacks, Ramifications Of Uchenna Nwosu's Injury & More

You had Seahawks question; we have answers.

mail-bag10242023

Happy throwback week, everybody! The Seahawks are coming off a win over the Cardinals that improved their record to 4-2, and now this week they'll host the Browns at Lumen Field while wearing their 90s-era throwbacks for the first time. But while we wait to see those beauties in person on Sunday, now is a great time to open up the mailbag once again to answer some questions from you, the fans. As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I couldn't get to yours this time around.

And remember, the mailbag is always open for submissions at Seahawks.com/mailbag, so you can ask your questions whenever they come up. Now let's get to it…

@elias_kokinos asks, "With Uchenna Nwosu out for the season, any chance Seattle makes a move for another D-Lineman?" While @Valspar111 asks, "Do we go practice squad to add at EDGE with Nwosu out, or a possible trade?"

A: These were just two of several questions related to the unfortunate injury news shared by Pete Carroll on Monday, which is that outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, one of the team's best defensive players, likely needs season-ending surgery due to a pectoral injury suffered in Sunday’s win.

As Carroll noted, that injury means the Seahawks will need other players in the edge rush rotation to step up, most notably the trio of Boye Mafe, Darrell Taylor and Derick Hall.

Seattle also has two players on the practice squad who could be in the mix there, Tyreke Smith, a 2022 draft pick who missed his rookie season due to injury, and Levi Bell, an undrafted rookie who was a standout in the preseason. One of those players, or someone at another position, could be needed to take some of Hall's special teams snaps as well if he is to take on a more significant role in the outside linebacker rotation.

"We've got to count on our rotation," Carroll said. "We've had a rotation going the whole time, and we'll just continue that. It challenges us though. Uchenna's a fantastic football player and a great team member. He's such a tough guy and such a heady player and so consistent. He's always really physical, so he always sends the right message. Really, we'll miss him."

It will be impossible to fully replace what Nwosu brings to the team both in terms of his leadership and playmaking ability, but the Seahawks do feel like they've done a good job building depth there that will help going forward.

As for the possibility of adding help via free agency or a trade—the NFL's trade deadline is on October 31—Carroll said, "We're not thinking like that yet."

That's being said, the word "yet" could be a significant qualifier there—a coach isn't going to want to tip his team's hand if something were in the works prior to getting a deal done—and as general manager John Schneider always says, the Seahawks take pride in leaving no stone unturned when it comes to building the best roster they can. So yeah, you can bet as soon as the Seahawks got bad news on Nwosu, Schneider and company were looking into their options. Whether that results in a signing or a trade remains to be seen, but they'll at least consider every option.

@enzo_sco asks, "Will the throwbacks be used a second time? And where are the Action Green uniforms?"

A: NFL teams can wear alternate uniforms three times in a season, and both the throwbacks and Action Green uniforms count as that, so Sunday's game against Cleveland will be the first of three. Officially, nothing has been announced for the team's plans for wearing Action Green, but if you look at the history of those jerseys, they tend to come out for home primetime games, so perhaps you can guess when they might be coming. As for another throwback game… Stay tuned.

@JonathanKDOT asks, "Will DK Metcalf be ready for the next game? If not, will Jaxon Smith-Njigba break out again?

A: Carroll said the hope is that Metcalf, who missed a game for the first time in his career due to a hip injury, can begin doing some on-field work to get a better idea if he can go or not this week. My guess is this will be a situation where there's no real clarity until Friday's injury report comes out, or perhaps even until gameday.

Whether or not Metcalf plays, it feels like we're starting to see Smith-Njigba come into his own and become a bigger part of the offense. Sharing targets with the likes of Tyler Lockett and Metcalf might mean Smith-Njigba doesn't always put up big numbers, but third receivers play a ton in today's NFL, so whether or not Metcalf is back this week or later, look for Smith-Njigba to continue to be involved in the offense.

@GeeFingBee asks, "Can Kenny McIntosh, once healthy, be a red-zone weapon?"

A: First, on the rookie running back's health, Carroll said McIntosh is ready to get back to work this week after spending the first seven weeks of the season on injured reserve due to a knee injury. Whether that means he's on the field for Sunday's game will be determined by how the week of practice goes, but whether he plays this week or not, it appears McIntosh is close to being back.

As for the red zone in particular, McIntosh's skills as a pass-catcher certainly adds to his value anywhere on the field, including the red zone, but I wouldn't put it on the rookie to come in and be the difference in that area, which has been a struggle for Seattle the last two weeks. For starters, he's going to have to earn his role in the offense with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet so far dominating the snaps at that position, and with DeeJay Dallas filling in when Charbonnet was out last weekend. It's going to be on everyone, from, as he pointed out last week when pointing the finger at himself, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, to the offensive line to quarterback Geno Smith and his weapons to get the job done. Maybe McIntosh will prove to be a difference maker when he does return, but getting better in the red zone is going to be a team effort.

@Rambrar2098 asks, "Will we ever see Jason Peters? He's had a few weeks to get ready?"

A: Carroll said Peters, who has been on the practice squad since early in the season, should be game-ready this week, assuming he gets through the practice week in good shape, so perhaps this is indeed the week that the veteran tackle is elevated from the practice squad. Peters, 41, needed time to build his way up to game shape having not been with a team in training camp, and it sounds like he's there now. The question then become whether or not there is a role for him to play, depending on injuries, or if he could be active as a backup.

The throwback uniforms were worn by some of the most iconic players in Seahawks history, paving the way for future generations of Seahawks.

Related Content

Advertising