Jamal Adams Won't Play vs. Cardinals, Jordyn Brooks Set to Return for Seahawks
Traveling to Arizona for their NFC West opener, the Seahawks will be without strong safety Jamal Adams for a third straight game. But overall, the roster looks much healthier preparing to play the Cardinals on Sunday Night Football.
After being held out of practice all week, the decision to hold out Adams isn't much of a surprise. Though he's drawing closer to returning from a groin strain, coach Pete Carroll indicated Seattle wanted to give him one more weekend to ensure he was 100 percent healthy.
"He's really close," Carroll told reporters on Friday, indicating Adams would not travel with the team. "We want to make sure and get it right. The consensus is it's better to wait until next week and I anticipate he'll be practicing next week."
In Adams' absence, Ryan Neal will make his third consecutive start for Seattle. Promoted from the practice squad earlier this week, Damarious Randall will serve as a backup behind both Neal and Quandre Diggs at both safety spots.
Aside from Adams, only guard Mike Iupati was listed on the Seahawks final injury report on Friday. The veteran lineman, who has been dealing with back spasms and sat out Thursday's practice, was replaced by Jordan Simmons in Week 5 against the Vikings and is listed as questionable for this weekend.
Otherwise, Carroll offered mostly promising medical updates, starting with rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who missed the past two games with a knee sprain suffered in Week 3 against the Cowboys.
Ready to roll and running full speed, Brooks returned to practice this week and wasn't on the final injury report. While Carroll refused to name a starter between him or Cody Barton at the weakside linebacker spot, he expects the first-round pick out of Texas Tech will see extensive playing time defensively.
"He had a great week, he really did have a great week," Carroll said. "He looked full speed, we ramped him up as the week went on, got more reps as he could handle the work. He's definitely going to play in this football game and I expect he'll play considerably."
Even Carroll himself should be in good shape for game day after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery during the bye week. While he "overdid it a little too much" and had to take a step back this week using a golf cart on the practice field, he plans to be standing on the sideline on Sunday.
In other injury-related updates, Carroll told reporters receiver Phillip Dorsett won't be playing this week after not being activated from injured reserve or practicing, but he's running "very fast" and should be back from a bruised foot soon. Like Adams, they are simply being cautious to make sure when he does return, he is fully healed.
As for defensive end Rasheem Green, he also won't play on Sunday coming back from a stinger, but Carroll also sounded optimistic about his chances of practicing next week and being activated to the 53-man roster.
Though he isn't rehabbing from an injury, recently-signed defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison also won't make the trip to Arizona. Per Carroll, the team is taking things "week by week" with the veteran as he works back into football shape.
"He's just working to get back in shape and make sure his conditioning is right and all that. He's working on his weight and making sure he's as svelte as he can be and so he's going through a process getting right."
