Seahawks Get Massive Injury Update Before Sunday Night Football
This Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks face the Washington Commanders on the road in a primetime matchup. The Seahawks look to stay atop the NFC West. The Commanders hope to revitalize their season and enter the Wild Card hunt.
Washington is more formidable than their 3-5 record shows. The team has been plagued by injuries, most notably to quarterback Jayden Daniels. He missed Weeks 3 and 4 due to a knee sprain and was ruled out early in the second half of Week 7 after suffering a hamstring injury, which then sidelined him for Week 8. Daniels hasn’t been cleared to play yet, but he’s expected to suit up for Sunday Night Football against Seattle.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for teammate Terry McLaurin. The superstar receiver re-injured a quad that’s hampered him most of the season. Earlier today, head coach Dan Quinn officially ruled McLaurin out for Sunday’s matchup against the Seahawks.
Injury Details
McLaurin initially injured the quad in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He missed the following four games before returning on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. It looked as if McLaurin hadn’t missed a step, as he started the game with three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown before reaggravating his quad.
“Yeah, it’s alright, I’m just trying to take it day by day, just monitoring it, it’s a little sore and everything,” McLaurin told reporters after the game. “I don’t know yet, really. So, I’m just going to continue to take it day by day and see how it feels in the morning. It’s hard to say what it is and what it isn’t, you know what I mean. I feel pretty good, but we’ll see how the week progresses.”
“It’s been a frustrating season for McLaurin and the Commanders,” Bryan Manning writes for Commanders Wire. “McLaurin was at odds with the team over a new contract and missed a lot of offseason work. When he did sign his new deal, it was less than two weeks before Week 1. McLaurin and Jayden Daniels have only played two games together this season due to injuries to both.”
How Seattle Matches Up Against Washington
The Seahawks are currently favored by 3.5 points, but they’re dealing with crucial injuries of their own, even coming off a bye week. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon is questionable with a knee injury, and safety Julian Love experienced a “setback” related to a hamstring injury today.
The 27-year-old suffered a setback with his hamstring and was unable to appear in Wednesday’s practice as a result. Macdonald has said that Seattle may be moving Love to IR ahead of the team’s Sunday Night Football matchup vs. the Washington Commanders in Week 9,” Patrick Hood writes for Field Gulls. “With Love’s condition getting worse, the Seahawks’ secondary will likely mean Ty Okada gets more playing time, having come off his best game of the season against the Houston Texans. Okada has started in every game Love has missed.”
Sunday Night Football could feature a battered Seahawks secondary facing off against a Commanders receiving corps missing its key cog. Both teams are all too familiar with this scenario, though. The Seahawks have struggled to maintain a healthy secondary all season, despite their 5-3 record.
Meanwhile, Bryan Manning adds, “Washington’s receivers have struggled with injuries all season and have had to rely on practice-squad elevations several times to have enough receivers for gameday.”
Even if Sunday Night Football is missing some stars, it’s a pivotal game for two NFC teams eyeing playoff runs.
Jets Cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner Enters Concussion Protocol After 13-6 Panthers Loss
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner suffered a concussion during a brutal 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Nothing screams Same Old Jets quite like losing to a Panthers team that’s been about as consistent as a broken alarm clock. It’s a serious concern as he is one of their pillars on their defense.
What Happened to Gardner During the Panthers Game?
Gardner’s injury occurred in the second half of what can only be described as an offensive masterpiece—if you’re into watching paint dry or grass grow. The hit sent him straight to the blue medical tent, then eventually to the locker room for further evaluation.
Head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed after the game that Gardner has officially entered the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, really. With the Jets already struggling to find their identity this season, losing their lockdown corner is exactly what they needed. But hey, at least the practices are “damn good” right, Aaron Glenn
Gardner’s Path Back to the Field
Gardner will need to be cleared by an independent neurologist to return to action. The concussion protocol isn’t exactly known for its speed—it’s more like waiting for your cable guy to show up during that four-hour window they gave you.
The Jets face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, October 26th, giving Gardner just over a week to work through the protocol. That might sound like plenty of time, but concussion protocols don’t operate on anyone’s schedule except the brain’s. And frankly, given how this Jets season has gone, expecting good news might be asking too much from the football gods.
If Gardner can’t go, Jarvis Brownlee steps into the spotlight as the next man up at outside corner. No pressure there, right? Just covering Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins all game.
Impact on the Jets Defense
Let’s be brutally honest about what Gardner means to this Jets defense. He’s not just their best cornerback—he’s been one of the few bright spots in what’s been a roller coaster season. Heck he even got paid with how great he is on the field.
The Jets defense has already dealt with issues, and losing Gardner is tremendous. They’re facing a Bengals offense that can put up points when healthy, and Joe Flacco being elite. Going into that matchup without your top corner is like showing up to a knife fight with a rubber band. Then again, this team has an inept owner and probably would make the rubber band a paper clip.
The Bigger Picture for New York
This Gardner situation perfectly encapsulates the Jets’ season so far. Just when something positive happens, something else falls apart faster than a house of cards in a hurricane. They can’t seem to catch a break, and now their defensive anchor might be sidelined during a crucial stretch of games.
Gardner’s health obviously takes priority over any football considerations. Concussions aren’t something to mess around with, regardless of how much his absence might hurt the team’s chances. The NFL has made significant strides in player safety, and these protocols exist because they’ve learned from past mistakes.
Looking Ahead
The Jets find themselves in familiar territory—hoping for good news while preparing for the worst. Gardner’s status for next week remains up in the air, floating somewhere between optimism and reality like most of this franchise’s hopes and dreams. If he clears protocol quickly, great. The Jets get their star corner back and can focus on actually winning some football games. If not, they’ll need to adjust their defensive game plan and hope Brownlee can step up when his number gets called.
