Seahawks’ Smith-Njigba suffers wrist fracture
Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a “slight fracture” in his left wrist, coach Pete Carroll told members of the media Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Smith-Njigba suffered the injury on his 48-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter against the Cowboys on Saturday night. He played the next snap – a 1-yard touchdown run by Deejay Dallas – then sat the rest of the game.
- Carroll said Smith-Njigba could be out three to four weeks and is seeing a specialist on Tuesday for further information. “We’re gonna be optimistic about it. Three, four weeks, we’ll see what happens. We don’t know yet.”
- Smith-Njigba, the No. 20 selection of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, had six receptions for 83 yards over Seattle’s first two preseason games.
- Carroll added inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks is expected to play in the season opener, less than eight months removed from his ACL surgery. Safety Jamal Adams could also return to practice tomorrow for the first time since rupturing a quad tendon in September.
What Carroll is saying
“He’s going to get surgery,” Seattle’s coach said. “He’s with a hand specialist. He’s got a slight fracture. We just want to make sure we do the right thing to ensure he gets back as soon as possible and as safe as possible. We’re going to be optimistic about it; three to four weeks, we’ll see what happens. We don’t know yet.”
Is Week 1 in play?
“We’re staying optimistic,” Carroll said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Carroll told members of the media that Smith-Njigba is in Philadelphia to be further evaluated. He will get surgery, if needed, no later than Wednesday.
Asked about Adams, Carroll said “there’s a chance we’ll have him back out here (at walk-through) tomorrow.
“That’s a big step for him to go forward. But it isn’t a step that means he’s going to be back out practicing yet. We want to get him in the flow. … So, I think probably tomorrow or the next day we’ll get that done.”
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How this affects Seattle’s offense
The obvious adjustment for the Seahawks in Smith-Njigba’s absence is to lean on its two-tight end packages. Seattle used 12 personnel at the second-highest rate in the league last season, according to TruMedia. It made sense at the time based on how the roster was constructed.
Will Dissly’s ability to play in-line tight end and split out wide also gave them versatility out of those heavy personnel groupings. Seattle’s first two snaps against the Cowboys were out of 13 personnel (three tight ends, one running back). The first play was a run to right with Dissly attached to right tackle Abe Lucas. Seattle went no-huddle before the next play, which featured Dissly lined up in the slot running a whip route against a safety for a gain of eight yards. Having healthy, versatile tight ends will help Seattle’s offense remain dynamic in any of the games it has to play without Smith-Njigba. — Dugar
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(Photo: Tom Hauck / Getty Images)