Seahawks Add RB Depth vs. 49ers, Elevate Godwin Igwebuike From Practice Squad
Earning a promotion to the game day roster for the second time in five days, the Seahawks elevated running back/kick return specialist Godwin Igwebuike from the practice squad to face one of his former teams on Thursday Night Football.
Previously spending time with the 49ers as a safety earlier in his NFL career before transitioning to offense, Igwebuike excelled in team debut on special teams for the Seahawks in Sunday's 30-24 loss to the Panthers, returning three kickoffs for 104 yards. Exploding out of the end zone and cutting on a dime through a crease, his 50-yard return late in the second quarter set up a Geno Smith touchdown pass to DK Metcalf to trim the deficit to six points before halftime.
Out of intermission, Igwebuike showed off his 4.4 speed and quickness decisively accelerating through a tight seam to return the opening kickoff to the 40-yard line, once again setting Seattle's offense up with favorable field position. Moments later, Jason Myers connected on a short field goal to make it a 20-17 game.
Applauding the blocking that sprung Igwebuike, Carroll praised the former Northwestern standout on Wednesday for providing a much-needed spark to help the Seahawks get untracked after falling behind 17-0 early.
"We blocked both of them really well for one. He hit it just right and he seemed to have a real feel for maxing out the spacing that was available," Carroll said. "The blocks were really well executed, so his speed, his tempo, and his commitment to what he saw was what shot him through the first line of coverage.”
Igwebuike didn't play any snaps on offense last Sunday and with starter Ken Walker III expected to be back in action after sitting out against the Panthers, the Seahawks likely won't need him to contribute in that capacity. But with DeeJay Dallas likely to miss a second straight game, his presence will provide backfield insurance in case they need him to step in at some point.
Unlike the past several weeks, Seattle didn't use its second practice squad elevation, choosing to go into Thursday's game with 54 players on the game day roster. As a result, the team will only have to announce six players as inactive.
As for who will or won't play beyond Walker and defensive tackle Shelby Harris, who also was omitted from the final injury report after sitting out Sunday with an illness, Carroll was mum on the status of Dallas, defensive tackle Al Woods, and safety Ryan Neal on Wednesday. All three players will be game-time decisions.
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