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Brady HendersonESPN
RENTON, Wash. – The Seattle Seahawks are recovering running leader Kenneth Walker III from an ankle injury for Thursday night’s NFC West showdown with the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field.
He did not have a game title in their final injury report, indicating he should play.
Walker missed the Seahawks’ loss to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday and the second half of their win over the Los Angeles Rams the week before after jamming his ankle.
Coach Pete Carroll did not say Walker would play against the 49ers when he met with reporters Wednesday afternoon, but he did say the rookie second-round pick “finished off the week going strong” in practice.
The Seahawks rated Walker as a restricted participant on Monday when they gave a walk-through, and listed him as a full participant on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“He did really well,” Carroll said. “I was really pleased, and it felt really fast here.”
The Seahawks list one of Walker’s backups, DeeJay Dallas, as questionable with an ankle injury. Defensive tackle Al Woods, safety Ryan Neal, backup cornerback Tre Brown, and backup safety Joey Blount are also questionable. Dallas, Woods and Neal were listed as non-participants all week.
Walker leads all rookies with nine rushing touchdowns and ranks second with 449 rushing yards (4.7-yard average). The Seahawks rushing game was held within 70 yards in three of the team’s last four games, including just 46 against the Panthers as Walker and Dallas were both sidelined.
Seattle’s rush defense was also problematic, allowing at least 150 rushing yards in four straight games. Woods, who was one of the Seahawks’ top defensive players, missed the second half against Carolina with an Achilles injury, while Neal played with a knee injury. Carroll said Wednesday he’d like newly acquired safety Johnathan Abram to play more than the four defensive snaps he got in the Panthers’ game.
The 49ers have shut out star receiver Deebo Samuel and list quarterback Brock Purdy as objectionable. Veteran quarterback Josh Johnson, who was signed by the 49ers after Jimmy Garoppolo injured his foot, would leave if Purdy misses the game. The Seahawks had Johnson on a free agent visit in 2018.
“We got through it and Josh has been everywhere,” Carroll said. “We’ve seen him play for a number of teams. He’s always been a real expert vet. He’s a great guy, really a complement to your schedule. So if they go that way, he’ll be relying on his experience and he’ll play in really smart way and I’ll manage that team well, I’m sure.”
After losing three of their last four, the Seahawks are two games behind the 49ers in the NFC West and have also fallen below the Washington Commanders and New York Giants in the race for a wildcard spot.
They need to win on Thursday night to keep any hopes of winning the division alive. The 49ers beat the Seahawks 27-7 in Week 2 and will clinch the NFC West division title with a win.
“These guys are No. 1 … in our division and they’re playing great,” Carroll said. “If you’re going to have a good year, you have to win games like this. You have to win them. You have to find your way through the big challenges. … They have a great race going on. What’s been really impressive about that , is that they’ve done it with different guys. They’ve had sex with a few guys and they’ve really been able to maintain their level of play. … This is a really good team. This is what it takes. It’s a great matchup.
