Seahawks WR Dee Eskridge Ruled Out vs. Raiders, Heading to Injured Reserve
While they are generally quite healthy coming out of their bye week, the Seahawks won't quite have all hands on deck against the Raiders on Sunday with second-year receiver Dee Eskridge set to head to injured reserve with a broken right hand.
Eskridge, a former second-round pick out of Western Michigan, didn't practice at al this week after exiting early in a Week 10 loss to Tampa Bay in Germany. Though coach Pete Carroll indicated X-rays on the hand were negative after the game, he continued to deal with discomfort and a second scan showed a fracture that initially wasn't evident.
After missing a significant chunk of his rookie season with a severe concussion, Eskridge has been a relative afterthought in Seattle's passing game so far this year. With speedy veteran Marquise Goodwin surpassing him as the clear No. 3 wideout behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and a trio of talented tight ends also gobbling up targets, he only has caught seven passes for 58 yards in 10 games.
When asked if Eskridge would have a chance to return later this season, Carroll stayed pretty coy, responding, "“Yes, it’s quite possible.”
Though he hasn't contributed much on offense, Eskridge recently started returning kicks on special teams and has shown some promise with limited opportunities. Over the past four games, he's returned seven kickoffs for 150 yards with a long of 29 yards.
With Eskridge out and set to miss at least the next four games as he recovers, Seattle will lean more heavily on Goodwin, Penny Hart, and rookie Dareke Young, who has played 41 offensive snaps over the past four games. He also hinted the possibility veteran Laquon Treadwell could either be elevated from the practice squad or added to the 53-man roster.
"I’m anxious to see what [Laquon] Treadwell does when he gets a chance, he hasn’t had a shot to do much, but we will see how he fits in," Carroll said.
Aside from Eskridge, the Seahawks don't have another player with a designation on their final injury report, signaling everyone else will be ready to play against the Raiders after receiving a much-needed week off. Defensive tackle L.J. Collier missed Tuesday's practice with an illness, but he returned as a limited participant on Wednesday and looks to be in good shape for Sunday if needed.
The only other players on the injury report this week - safety Ryan Neal and linebacker Cody Barton - were full participants all week and didn't receive designations. Both defenders should be ready to start per usual at Lumen Field.
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