Seahawks hold out hope that RB Thomas Rawls can play Sunday
SEATTLE – While the Seahawks have listed running back Thomas Rawls as doubtful for Sunday’s home game against the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said he remains hopeful that Rawls may be able to play.
But if Rawls can’t go, Carroll said the team is comfortable going with Christine Michael as the primary tailback for Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. kickoff against the 49ers.
Rawls did not practice this week with a shin injury suffered in last Sunday’s 9-3 loss at Los Angeles. He was the only Seahawks player listed as not participating in practice on Friday.
“We are still hoping that he’s going to be able to come out of the chutes running tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday,” Carroll said. “It’s not a dangerous injury or anything like that. It’s problematic for him at this time, but we are just going to be open-minded and then still make the decision on what we want to do. We are prepared to go without him if he can’t go, but we’d love to see him if he can get there.”
The good news for the Seahawks concerned the health of QB Russell Wilson and receivers Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett.
Carroll said Wilson, who suffered a high ankle sprain against Miami on Sept. 11, “is better than he was last week. He did fine. Finished on a really high note. Today (Friday) was really the best that he’s been in the last two weeks. He looked really good today.”
Baldwin and Lockett each came out of the Rams’ game with sore knees. But Carroll said they finished the week practicing well.
“They did a marvelous job this week,” he said. “They did all the work they needed to get done. They are ready to play.”
Along with Rawls, the Seahawks also listed as doubtful guard Germain Ifedi and tight end Nick Vannett, who each have yet to play in the regular season because of high ankle sprains. Each was listed as a limited participant in Friday’s practice.
Carroll said Ifedi “didn’t do anything really of note” in practice on Friday but that “I think there’s a really good chance he will be able to do some stuff next week.”
Carroll said of Vannett that “he’s really close. Nick is running around everywhere. So in an emergency situation if we needed to we might be able to get him up this week. But we are hoping to play it out a little bit longer.”
The Seahawks also listed running back C.J. Prosise as questionable as he is dealing with a broken bone in his wrist and has been attempting to play with a wrap on his hand.
But Carroll indicated optimism on Prosise saying, “He practiced all week so he made it through it. So we have the option of playing him.”
With Rawls doubtful and Prosise questionable, the Seahawks could look to add depth at the running back spot by promoting Terrence Magee, who this week was signed to the practice squad, to the active roster. The Seahawks have an open spot on their roster after releasing fullback Will Tukuafu earlier this week.
Magee, who played at LSU, played in four games for the Ravens last year as an undrafted rookie free agent and was in camp with the Rams this year. Magee would have to be added to the 53-man roster on Saturday to be able to play Sunday.
Seattle’s only other tailback is rookie Alex Collins.
Rawls suffered a broken ankle last Dec. 13 at Baltimore, returning for the final preseason game and then playing in the first two regular-season games with 19 carries for 25 yards.
Carroll said Rawls’ current injury, suffered when he was kicked in the leg during the second quarter against the Rams, is a “totally unrelated thing. It’s way up on the side of his leg.”
The release of Tukuafu also means the Seahawks are without a fullback. While the Seahawks used a fullback for just seven snaps in each of the first two games, it is a position that features prominently in some of the team’s offensive packages.
Carroll hinted that the team could be experimenting with some other options at that spot,either with players on the current roster or elsewhere, saying, “We do have a situation right there. Wait and see.”