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Brady Henderson, ESPNDec 16, 2024, 08:15 PM ET
- Brady Henderson is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Henderson covers the Seattle Seahawks. He joined ESPN in 2017 covering the team for Seattle Sports 710-AM. You can follow him via Twitter @BradyHenderson.
RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is optimistic that Geno Smith will play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings after tests revealed good news on the quarterback’s right knee.
Macdonald didn’t know exactly what to call the injury that knocked Smith out of the Seahawks’ 30-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers Sunday night, but he reiterated his postgame comments about how Smith’s knee is structurally intact.
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“We’re fortunate,” Macdonald said Monday. “A lot of positive, optimistic signs coming out of the tests. Geno’s a beast, man. He’s in here working out in the morning, working through it. I know he’s still feeling it, but this guy’s tough as nails and hopefully we’ll see him practice throughout the week with [optimism] in him being ready for the game.”
Macdonald said he’s optimistic that Smith will practice Wednesday and that he’ll get most of the snaps in practice this week.
Smith went down midway through the third quarter after a low hit from linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. He was listed as questionable to return and briefly appeared ready to do so in the fourth quarter, but Sam Howell played the remainder of the game and struggled badly in relief, completing only five of 14 attempts for 24 yards and an interception.
Howell was pressured on 10 of his 19 dropbacks and sacked four times.
Acquired in a March trade with the Washington Commanders, Howell had only played one span this season before stepping into a 20-3 second-half deficit Sunday night.
“Just like I said last night, I was hoping he’d play better, frankly, just to get us back in the game, move the ball a little bit more,” Macdonald said. “But he was put in a tough spot where they know that we’re throwing and we know we’re throwing, so they’re rocking and rolling doing their stuff.
“But talking to Sam, he’s mentally tough as nails, and I know he’s physically tough as nails. So if he gets the opportunty again, he’s going to go do what he does and be Sam Howell, be the guy that we love.”
The Seahawks, who allowed seven sacks and 12 QB hits in all against Green Bay, also lost starting center Olu Oluwatimi to what Macdonald described as a knee/quad injury in the first half. Macdonald said Oluwatimi’s status is less clear than Smith’s, calling him day-to-day.
Macdonald was pleased with how Jalen Sundell fared in relief of Oluwatimi. The undrafted rookie became the 12th different offensive lineman to play meaningful snaps for Seattle this season.
“He did a nice job,” Macdonald said. “He operated it well. A couple plays that maybe it took him a minute to get his feet wet, get ready to go in his first meaningful action at center. But he had some really good plays as well, so he did a nice job.”
Asked about the status of Ken Walker III after the running back missed his second straight game with calf injury, Macdonald said: “We’ll see on Wednesday. He had a good workout this morning. Feels good. So hopefully we’ll see him out there on Wednesday.”
