Ailing Rhodes to miss opener
KIRKLAND – When the Seattle Seahawks head to Jacksonville for the season opener this weekend, they will do so without defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes.
Rhodes, who will turn 55 next month, was released from an area hospital Tuesday but has been told by doctors to rest through the weekend. A team spokesperson said that Rhodes sought medical attention after experiencing recurrent episodes of dizziness.
While relieved that Rhodes is out of the hospital, Seahawks players said they will miss him Sunday.
“Things will be a little different,” cornerback Marcus Trufant said. “Everybody would like to have him back. Everybody will have him in their prayers, and we’ll just have to move on and try to win one for him.”
Linebackers coach John Marshall will take over Rhodes’s duties on a temporary basis. Marshall has served as a defensive coordinator for Atlanta, San Francisco and Carolina during his 26 years as an NFL assistant.
“Ray is going to be back” at some point, Marshall said. “We’ve already talked and done some pre-work on Jacksonville. We had pretty good input from Ray in the game plan and I’m on the phone with him all the time. It’s Ray’s game plan, and we’re just executing it here.
“… There is a loss, but at the same time I think the defensive staff collectively is a good defensive staff and they’ll pick up the slack for Ray.”
The Seahawks’ coaching staff had another brief scare earlier this summer, when head coach Mike Holmgren went in for tests after feeling tightness in his chest. He was cleared to return to practice within a matter of days.
Bannister ready to contribute
Nearly three months of waiting have been frustrating to Seahawks wide receiver Alex Bannister, but he believes they’ve also changed him for the better.
He’s finally back in action this week, and with a new outlook after breaking his clavicle at a June 9 minicamp practice.
“It gave me a lot of time to reflect on things that are going on in my life,” Bannister said of his time away. “I’m a God-driven man, and I realized there were certain things and certain people in my life that I probably didn’t need. It gave me a chance to reflect on everything and how I was living my life. I think things happen for a reason. When you’re not happy inside, it can drain you; it can take away from all aspects of your life. I just put my priorities in order.”
The Seahawks are happy to have Bannister back this week because he gives them a special teams player who was named to the 2003 Pro Bowl.
Quick hits
The only three players who appear in danger of missing Sunday’s game are offensive linemen Floyd Womack (slightly torn triceps) and Wayne Hunter (sore knee) and wide receiver D.J. Hackett (sore knee). The official injury report comes out today. … Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio admitted to Florida reporters this week that his team will quiz linebacker Tracy White on the Seahawks’ defensive system. White was claimed off waivers from Seattle on Sunday.