Quinton Jefferson Ruled Out, 6 Seahawks Questionable for Week 8 Clash with Falcons
Prior to Friday’s final practice of the week, the Seahawks officially ruled out defensive end Quinton Jefferson and safety Lano Hill for Sunday’s contest against the Falcons.
Nursing an oblique injury, Jefferson did not participate in practice on Wednesday or Thursday and his expected absence will be a significant loss for Seattle’s defensive line. The versatile fourth-year veteran leads the team with seven quarterback hits and has 17 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and three passes defensed in six games.
As for Hill, coach Pete Carroll expects he’ll miss a few more weeks as he tries to work his way back from an elbow injury. The reserve safety missed last Sunday’s game against the Ravens and the uncertainty about his status moving forward played a part in the Seahawks decision to trade for Quandre Diggs on Tuesday.
Diggs himself isn’t necessarily guaranteed to suit up for Seattle, as he and fellow safety Bradley McDougald (back) are both listed as questionable to play in Atlanta. The fifth-year safety has been dealing with a hamstring injury for several weeks and was limited during his first three practices with the team.
If somehow neither Diggs nor McDougald suits up, rookie Marquise Blair and Tedric Thompson will serve as the starting safeties for a second consecutive week. Akeem King and Ugo Amadi would be the backups in event of further injuries.
Along the offensive line, the Seahawks could potentially be without both of their starting offensive tackles. Duane Brown (bicep) returned to practice in limited form this week, while Carroll indicated Germain Ifedi “tweaked” his knee during Wednesday’s walkthrough and sat out on Thursday and Friday. Both players are listed as questionable.
Playing without both Brown and Ifedi would be a worst-case scenario for Seattle, as backups Jamarco Jones and George Fant would replace them in the lineup and only Joey Hunt would be available as a potential backup option. Under such circumstances, a last-minute roster move could be made to add depth before Saturday’s deadline.
Closing out Seattle’s final injury report, defensive end Ziggy Ansah (ankle) and cornerback Tre Flowers (neck) have both been limited at practice this week and are questionable to play on Sunday.
