The Seahawks have designated both Uchenna Nwosu and Stone Forsythe to return to practice, opening up their -21 day window
The Seattle Seahawks are getting reinforcements just in time for their Week 13 bout with the New York Jets.
On Wednesday, the Seahawks announced that outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and offensive tackle Stone Forsythe will be designated to return to practice. Both players have been on injured reserve for the past few weeks. Nwosu has been on injured reserve with a thigh injury that he suffered in Week 5. Forsythe on the other hand has been on injured reserve since Week 7 due to a hand injury.
Both Nwosu and Forsythe now have 21 days to practice without counting against the 53-man roster. After this 21-day window, Seattle must either activate them to the 53-man roster or shut them down for the season. There is no indication that either player will be unable to return within the 21-day window.
With the reemergence of Abe Lucas at right tackle, Forsythe’s return would be great for depth purposes at the offensive tackle position. Perhaps Forsythe could even some time as a swing tackle, if and when he returns. However, with the promising (though inconsistent) play of rookie, Mike Jarrell, Seattle may not be looking to necessarily rush Forsythe back anytime soon.
For Nwosu, though he started the season with the expectation to be a starter at outside linebacker, his knee and now thigh injury have forced him out of the lineup for nearly the entire season. In his absence, both Boye Mafe and Derick Hall have showed up and played well enough to arguably keep Nwosu out of the starting lineup. This is not to say that Nwosu’s return won’t be significant for Seattle. He would add another skilled edge setting pass rusher to the arsenal. However, Seattle should be in no hurry to rush Nwosu back just yet. Coach Mike Macdonald has already stated that he expects Nwosu to practice this week, but not play Sunday against the Jets.
Time will tell when both Nwosu and Forsythe will return. Regardless, this news is significant for Seattle. At a time in the NFL season when most teams are hurting mightily with injuries, Seattle is adding impactful depth back to their roster.