RENTON -- The Seattle Seahawks have placed defensive end Rasheem Green on injured reserve due to a neck stinger that forced him to miss last week's game against the New England Patriots
Green had already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys. He sustained the injury in the team's season opening win over the Atlanta Falcons and hasn't been able to clear testing in the aftermath to allow him back onto the field.
"It's just gonna be a couple more weeks so this was this was the right way to handle this," head coach Pete Carroll said after practice on Friday. "We're expecting him to come back to us. He's just got to get through the process to make sure that he can pass this test. And so it's going to be a couple weeks, we think, so this is going to work out."
Revised injured reserve rules for the 2020 season require only a three-week stay on the injured reserve list. Green would become eligible to return to the roster coming out of the team's Week 6 bye ahead of their meeting with the Arizona Cardinals in late October.
The team has an open roster spot they can utilize prior to Sunday's game against the Cowboys but Carroll would not divulge who they intend to have take that spot in the meantime.
With Green joining Bruce Irvin on injured reserve, the Seahawks lack of depth at defensive end becomes a little more pronounced. Rookie fifth-round pick Alton Robinson will get his first action this Sunday against Dallas in the place of Green and Irvin.
He's worked hard to hold up his end of it," Carroll said of Robinson. "We're not hesitant to play him in any situation in the game, meaning that he's got the playbook, you know, in his understanding it. So, we're going in with confidence and he'll do a good job."
With a pair of cornerbacks listed as questionable to play in Quinton Dunbar and Neiko Thorpe, an additional corner could easily be the position where the addition comes from.
Dunbar (knee) and Thorpe (hip/groin) both did not practice with the team on Friday. Dunbar had been limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday before being given the day off on Friday. Thorpe was limited Wednesday, a full participant on Thursday and then didn't take part on Friday.
"He didn't practice much this week but he looks like he's ready to play," Carroll said of Dunbar. "But we wanted to make sure in and give them as much rest time as possible."
For Thorpe, he will be a game-time decision. Seattle currently has two cornerbacks on their practice squad in Jayson Stanley and Gavin Heslop that could be brought up for additional depth. Ryan Neal also has background at cornerback though Seattle has used him more at safety this year during training camp.
Linden Stephens, who made the team's initial 53-man roster before being waived and re-signing to the practice squad, was promoted to the active roster this week as well.
"He had a really good camp. He was very, very competitive," Carroll said. "We went after him a lot with the top receivers, just as the rotations came out and he just did really well and so we're excited about him being part of the team. He's also working inside at the nickel spot too. He could be a factor in special teams for us. A really good energy guy and tough guy and he's got really good quickness and so he's just made good impressions and so we're happy to have him up."
Defensive end Benson Mayowa did not participate in practice on Wednesday or Thursday due to a groin issue. He was back on the field on Friday in limited fashion and Carroll believes he has a chance to play.
"Looks like he's got a chance," Carroll said. "I think he's probably questionable right now but he's coming back to us so it looks like he's got a chance."
Backup tackle Cedric Ogbuehi is also questionable after missing the first two games with a pectoral injury.
The team also waived defensive end Eli Mencer from the injured reserve list on Friday.
Injury Report:
Photo Credit: SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 23: Rasheem Green #94 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after teammate Dion Jordan #95 (not pictured) sacked quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on December 23, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)