Seahawks Set to Face Rams Without Both Starting Cornerbacks

With Shaquill Griffin ruled out and Quinton Dunbar unlikely to join the team on the flight to Los Angeles, the Seahawks will have Tre Flowers and the trio of D.J. Reed, Ryan Neal, and Linden Stephens to consider for the other cornerback spot against the Rams.

Though only three players were ruled out on the Seahawks final injury report on Friday, coach Pete Carroll indicated the team will be without at least five players against the Rams on Sunday, including starting cornerbacks Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar.

While he has made it through concussion protocol, Griffin didn't practice at all this week with a lingering hamstring injury and will miss his third consecutive game. As for Dunbar, after struggling in last week's 44-34 loss to the Bills, Carroll indicated he likely wouldn't make the trip to Los Angeles despite being listed as questionable with a sore knee.

"He's quieted down. We're trying to do rehab work with him right now," Carroll told reporters. "I saw him this morning and he's in the mode of getting back and it's going to be a while until we get him back and get him right. It's gonna take some time to take advantage of the rehab. He's making good progress but not enough progress to play in the game."

With both starting corners not expected to travel, Tre Flowers will make his third consecutive start and fifth overall at right cornerback. On the opposite side, Carroll didn't indicate who would start, but the Seahawks have a number of options to choose from, including Linden Stephens, D.J. Reed, Ryan Neal, and Neiko Thorpe, who is expected to be activated from injured reserve.

Along with Griffin, the Seahawks will also be without defensive tackle Bryan Mone, who hasn't practiced all week due to a high ankle sprain, while defensive end Benson Mayowa is a "long shot" with his own ankle injury. Veteran Damon Harrison should be elevated from the practice squad to replace Mone and make his much-anticipated team debut.

Despite missing most of the practice week to rest, Carroll said linebacker K.J. Wright "looked good" on Friday and should be ready to play against the Rams after spraining his ankle last weekend.

On offense, as expected, starting center Ethan Pocic will miss Sunday's game after being diagnosed with a concussion early in the week. Fourth-year center Kyle Fuller will earn his first start since 2017 as his replacement.

Sharing similar praise to quarterback Russell Wilson and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, Carroll admitted Fuller's development opened the door for them to trade B.J. Finney to the Bengals as part of the Carlos Dunlap deal and he's looking forward to seeing how he fares in his first start as a Seahawk.

"Kyle's a good athlete, he's a real strong, athletic, physical kid. He's played quite a bit of football now in the league and so we've seen him for years. He's ready to go. He's been right there at the edge of getting in and playing, it's his first time going... Kyle will be ready to go. He's gonna do a good job for us."

Despite missing Pocic, Seattle could have Mike Iupati back in the starting lineup after a four-game absence. He practiced all week and according to Carroll, "he's ready to play football," though it's unclear whether he or Jordan Simmons will start at left guard.

In the backfield, both Chris Carson (foot) and Carlos Hyde (hamstring) are listed as questionable and will likely be game-time decisions. Carson didn't practice at all this week, but Carroll indicated he would run on Friday and Saturday to see if he could suit up on Sunday, while Hyde made a big step forward by practicing in limited fashion on Friday.

If neither Carson or Hyde can play, the Seahawks have Alex Collins and Bo Scarbrough available to call up from the practice squad as insurance.