RENTON — Crisis (apparently) averted.
Geno Smith’s knee injury is better than it could be, good enough that his coach believes the Seahawks’ quarterback will take most of the first-team plays in practices this week then play Sunday when Seattle (8-6) tries to keep pace for the NFC West lead against Minnesota (11-2) at Lumen Field.
That’s the news out of Smith’s imaging tests on his left knee.
“We’re fortunate. So a lot of positive, optimistic signs coming out of the tests,” Macdonald said Monday, the day after Smith left the Seahawks’ 30-13 home loss to Green Bay in the third quarter.
“Geno’s a beast, man. He’s in here working out (Monday) morning, working through it, I mean, I know he’s still feeling it,” the coach said, chuckling. “But this guy is tough as nails, and hopefully we’ll see him practice throughout the week — with (us being) optimistic him being ready for the game.”
Macdonald would not specify he Smith had a sprained knee.
“Structurally, it’s all there. “We’re rollin’,” the coach said.
“It’s a knee right now.”
So at least Smith didn’t lose a body part while losing the game to the Packers on Sunday night.
It was the first loss in five games for the Seahawks, who trail the Los Angeles Rams (8-6) for the division lead by head-to-head tiebreaker with three games remaining in the regular season.
The final one is Seahawks at Rams the first weekend in January.
Macdonald said he and the team believe the 34-year-old Smith will practice Wednesday and take the majority of reps with the starters in practices all this week.
“I’d say I’m optimistic that he’ll get most of the snaps,” Macdonald said.
Smith completed 15 of 19 passes before he got hurt. But he threw a costly interception into the end zone in the second quarter with the Seahawks poised to score down 17-3. It was his league-leading fifth interception in the red zone, inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, this season.
Sam Howell replaced Smith with 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter Sunday night against Green Bay. The backup and Washington Commanders starter in 2023 looked rattled, and bad.
Howell, 24, entered with the score 20-3, during a drive Smith led into range for a field goal that made it 20-6. Howell completed 5 of 14 passes for 24 yards with four sacks and an interception.
“Yeah, I think at the end of the day I’ve got to be better. I think my job is to be ready to go in there and play well and help this team win, and I didn’t do that today,” Howell said following his first extensive action in a regular-season game since Jan. 7, 2024, when he threw two interceptions and got sacked four times for Washington in a 38-10 loss to Dallas.
“I’ve just got to be better. Watch the film, learn from it. Definitely we had chances there in the second half. Defense played well, put us in good position. I’ve just got to be better.”
Asked to assess Howell on Monday after watching the game film, Macdonald said: “Play better, frankly.
“Just get us back in the game, move the ball a little bit more. But he was put in a tough spot. They know that we’re throwing … so they’re rockin’ and rollin’, doing their stuff (in pass rushing).
“But talking to Sam, he’s mentally tough as nails. I know he’s physically tough as nails. So, if he gets the opportunity again, he’s going to go do what he does and be Sam Howell, be the guy that we love.”
Kenneth Walker III returning?
Lead running back Kenneth Walker’s status for playing against the Vikings will be determined as the week continues.
He’s missed the last two games with a calf injury.
“Ken, yeah, we’ll see on Wednesday. He had a good workout this morning. Feels good,” Macdonald said, adding the team is hopeful Walker can practice this week to play Sunday.
Zach Charbonnet has been Seattle’s lead rusher with Walker out for third and fourth times this season. Charbonnet followed a career day the week before in Seattle’s win at Arizona by running eight times for 54 yards against the Packers. He sprinted down the right sideline for a 24-yard touchdown after Howell entered the game. That cut Green Bay’s lead to 23-13 with 11:16 remaining.
Center situation
Olu Oluwatimi, whose knee and quadriceps injuries that sent him out of the game Sunday night in the first quarter, remains a “day-to-day” issue,” Macdonald said.
Jalen Sundell, the undrafted rookie from North Dakota State, played the final three-plus quarters at center against Green Bay. Macdonald thought Sundell played well.
The coach said the team is “working through” who the backup center to Sundell might be, with rookie backup guard Christian Haynes a possible option.
The fact they are working through that suggests Oluwatimi might not play against Minnesota.
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