Duane Brown's Absence Felt at Seahawks' Mock Game as He Makes 'Statement' For Extension

SEATTLE, WA - When the Seahawks took to the Lumen Field turf for their mock game on Sunday, they were without veteran left tackle Duane Brown. The three-time All-Pro has been present at the team's facility since the start of training camp, but he has yet to participate in practice as he awaits a new contract extension.

After the scrimmage, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that the team had no plans to play Brown, 35, in the preseason to begin with. However, for the first time since the start of camp, he acknowledged the Virginia Tech product's stance.

"Duane and I are doing great in our conversations about stuff," Carroll responded when asked if Brown is unhappy. "He's been great and he's making a statement, you know? He's making a statement about what he feels he needs to have happen."

Brown is in the final year of a $34.5 million extension he signed with Seattle in 2018, coming off yet another stellar season in which Pro Football Focus awarded him the sixth-highest overall grade among offensive tackles (87.3). He started all 17 of the team's games, including playoffs, and allowed just 2.0 sacks in over 1,000 snaps played.

Russell Wilson, the Seahawks' superstar quarterback whose blindside Brown is tasked to protect, was adamant that the team settle its negotiations with the accomplished tackle.

"Not having Duane Brown out there is a pretty significant deal because I think he's one of the best left tackles in the game, there's no arguing it," Wilson voiced on Sunday. "I think he's as good as it gets. There's nobody more athletic, more talented than he is. Age is just a number. He looks like he's 28-30 out there. He's really exceptional. So smart and physical, understands the game and I think people fear him, to be honest with you, when they're rushing him and playing against him. So we definitely want to be able to get him back out there. We've got to figure that out because we need Duane Brown."

With Brown unavailable and tackles Cedric Ogbuehi (biceps strain), Jamarco Jones (back spasms) and Tommy Champion (groin) sidelined due to injuries, the Seahawks relied heavily on 2021 sixth-round selection Stone Forsythe to handle left tackle duties in Sunday's mock scrimmage. Dealing with a minor ankle issue of his own, Forsythe battled all day long and had some impressive snaps, though he struggled at times in the run game—his most glaring weakness at the University of Florida.

Needless to say: it would behoove Seattle to hammer out Brown's contract sooner rather than later. Though the team has historically taken it easy with the veteran's workload in practice and have already confirmed he won't see any preseason action whether or not an extension is agreed upon, getting him reps before Week 1 in Indianapolis will be important.

There's still a little over a month's time before the Seahawks square off against the Colts, so they're not exactly cutting it close just yet. But as the days continue to go by without a resolution, the bigger of an issue this could become.

"We need to figure that out because he's really special, obviously," Wilson continued. "Like I said, I think he's one of the best left tackles in the game. I think he's got several more years to play. I think he can definitely do it. I don't think there's anybody more athletic than him. You see what he can do. And he's also our leader. He's a guy who really leads the offensive line, and really, he commands the offensive line and really can set the tone."