Injury Report: Seahawks Rule Out 3 Veterans For Season Opener vs. 49ers
Though the bumps and bruises of the 2025 season have yet to have a chance to truly settle in, the Seattle Seahawks will be without several veterans due to injury when they square off against the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s season opener at Lumen Field.
Headlining Seattle’s first game designations of the new season, outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu isn’t quite ready to return to game action after undergoing offseason knee surgery. The eighth-year veteran struggled through injuries each of the past two seasons, missing 22 combined regular season games with a torn pectoral muscle, sprained knee, and torn thigh, before undergoing his latest cleanup and missing the majority of training camp on the PUP list.
The Seahawks activated Nwosu on August 18, allowing him to start practicing for the first time since January, including individualized work with defensive coordinator Aden Durde. But while he has progressed to padded drill work, Mike Macdonald and the coaching staff apparently didn’t feel comfortable yet with him playing in a game, so his 2025 debut will have to wait at least one more week with his next chance to suit up coming against the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week 2.
With Nwosu being sidelined, Seattle will have Demarcus Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall ready to do most of the heavy lifting off the edge against San Francisco, while undrafted rookie Jared Ivey could see some action as a rotational reserve. Promoting second-year hybrid linebacker Jamie Sheriff from the practice squad as a game day elevation could also be an option to provide more juice in the pass rushing department.
In addition to Nwosu being held out, receiver Jake Bobo has yet to clear concussion protocol after taking a hard hit to the head on a punt return against the Packers during the exhibition finale. Though he was limited during the practice week, he hasn’t been fully cleared yet, while fellow wideout Dareke Young will also be inactive with a new hamstring injury that kept him out of practice on Thursday and Friday.
On the plus side, rookie receiver Tory Horton, who has been nursing a sprained ankle since the second preseason game, did not receive an injury designation and has been a full participant in practice all week. Veteran Cody White, who has been limited by a shoulder issue, also was omitted from the final injury report without a designation and will be the fourth receiver on Sunday.
Depth-wise, the Seahawks have three receivers - seventh-round pick Ricky White III, undrafted rookie Tyrone Broden, and recently signed undrafted rookie Courtney Jackson - on the practice squad who could be in the mix to promote as a game day elevation for Sunday.
Despite being non-participants on Thursday, starting right guard Anthony Bradford (back) and cornerback Riq Woolen (illness) did not receive a final designation and should be good to go for Sunday’s opener. Linebacker Tyrice Knight, who missed most of training camp with an undisclosed medical issue, wasn’t on the injury report all week and will start alongside Ernest Jones, though Macdonald acknowledged a snap count for him is “under consideration.”
