Julian Love’s work to get back from injury might pay off this week.
Or, it might not. Again. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald on Monday was cautiously optimistic Love might return to practice this week off injured reserve.
“It’s a possibility,” is what the coach said Monday afternoon, a day after Seattle’s 26-0 win over Minnesota.
The Pro Bowl veteran has played in only three of the first 12 games. He hasn’t played since late September because of a hamstring injury. He went on injured reserve Nov. 1.
He became eligible to return to practice last week. But Macdonald said Love had a setback in his return, so he has yet to come back. Defensive tackle Jarran Reed, tight end Eric Saubert and wide receiver Dareke Young also could be eligible to return to practice off IR this week. The Seahawks are working through when and whether they will designate any of them to return to practice.
Macdonald was more expansive about Love’s status Monday morning on his weekly day-after-game show with KIRO-AM radio about Love perhaps practicing Wednesday or Thursday this week. Seattle (9-3), tied in record but not the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Rams atop the NFC West, plays at Atlanta (4-8) Sunday.
Even if Love does practice, he might need some time beyond this week into his 21-day window, the maximum time the team has to activate him to the roster to play.
“Looking positive,” Macdonald said. “He’s gotta take it day by day.
“Nobody wants him out there more than I do, trust me.
“He has worked extremely hard and incredibly diligently to get himself back out there,” Macdonald said. “This is not a function of him not being ready to go or not doing all the things. He’s taking it to the nth degree to come back and be as healthy as he possibly can, and our trainers are doing the same thing. It’s just one of those funky things that sometimes … don’t go your way and the timelines change.”
Ty Okada and D’Anthony Bell have played in Love’s place, with Okada the primary starting safety with Coby Bryant the last two months. Okada took what Macdonald called extraordinary medical measures to start Sunday against Minnesota, one week after he injured his oblique in the team’s win at Tennessee.
Love’s return would make the Seahawks’ secondary wholly healthy and together for the first time since the fifth play of the season. That’s when rookie safety Nick Emmanwori got a high-ankle sprain, in the opener Sept. 7 against San Francisco. Then Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon missed two games in September two because of a knee injury. Cornerback Riq Woolen got a concussion and missed the week-six game at Jacksonville.
Cornerback Josh Jobe started again with Witherspoon on Sunday against the Vikings. He left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. Macdonald said Monday afternoon Jobe passed the concussion baseline testing during the game and is out of the protocol. He’s on track to play at Atlanta this weekend.
“Expect him to be good to go,” Macdonald said.
Woolen replaced Jobe in the second half and had Seattle’s fourth interception of Minnesota rookie Max Brosmer.
Anthony Bradford situation
Anthony Bradford left the Vikings game in the third quarter with an injured elbow. Christian Haynes replaced him at right guard.
“Shouldn’t be major,” Macdonald said of Bradford’s injury.
Bradford again struggled in the first half Sunday. Multiple times he appeared unsure, blocking no one, while quarterback Sam Darnold got hit or sacked. The Vikings sacked Darnold four times in the first half, his season high for an entire game this season.
Seattle’s offense did not score a touchdown until 9 minutes remained in the game on Zach Charbonnet’s 17-yard run for the game’s final points.
“They did a really good job,” Darnold said of his former Vikings.
“For me, personally, I’ve got to get the ball out in certain situations.”
Darnold finished the Vikings game with a season-low 128 passing yards with his season-high four sacks.
“We’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror and see how we can be better,” Darnold said.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores had Vikings defensive linemen feigning charges then dropping off the line while linebackers blitzed free. That’s how Minnesota’s Eric Wilson ran free up the middle to sack Darnold on a third and 11 in the first quarter.
“They moved a lot. They play a lot of different defenses,” Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross said.
Macdonald said Monday Bradford played well at times against the Vikings, that the guard had some good plays and some not-so-good plays.
Haynes has lost competitions for the starting job at right guard multiple times since Seattle drafted him in the third round in spring 2024. The most recent time was when Bradford passed him in training camp this summer.
Jalen Sundell could compete with Bradford at right guard as early as this time next week.
Sundell is on injured reserve with a knee injury. NFL rules state up to six players on IR can miss a minimum of four games, then become eligible to return to practice and eventually play. Sunday at Atlanta will be Sundell’s fourth straight missed game.
Sundell was the starting center for the first nine games this season. Olu Oluwatimi has replaced him, and for the second consecutive Monday drew the head coach’s praise for how he played in a game.
Sundell worked at a guard last season as a rookie free agent from North Dakota State. He was also part of the competition with Bradford and Haynes at right guard this summer in training camp, before he won the center job over Oluwatimi. Oluwatimi has also worked some at guard in the past.
With Oluwatimi now seemingly holding his own at center, could Sundell be at right guard competing against Bradford for that starting job when he comes off IR soon? Maybe.
“I think we still have to work through what the lineup will look like when he comes back,” Macdonald said.
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