Anthony Bradford, our starting right guard, is officially on injured reserve, which means he’s out for at least the next four games. This just dropped Wednesday, and it’s a total gut punch for our O-line, but it also paves the way for safety Rodney Thomas II to jump from the practice squad to the active roster. Talk about a whirlwind day!
The Real Deal with Bradford’s Injury
This whole situation with Bradford didn’t just come out of nowhere, either. He was already tagged as questionable with knee and hip injuries before last Sunday’s huge win over the Arizona Cardinals. Then things just kept getting worse. He went from being a limited guy in Friday’s practice to totally out on Saturday. Our main man, Coach Mike Macdonald, did give us some good news, though, saying it’s not season-ending, thank goodness! He’s calling it “shorter side” for recovery, which means we’re talking closer to that four-week minimum than anything that stretches into December. Still, we won’t see our starting guard back on the field until Week 7 when we take on the Kansas City Chiefs on October 25th. That’s a long time without our rock.
Christian Haynes Just Got His Shot
So, with Bradford out against Arizona, we already got a peek at what’s next. Christian Haynes and fifth-round rookie Beau Stephens were splitting snaps at guard. Haynes definitely got the bulk of it with 43 snaps to Stephens’ 27. The biggest question now is whether our Offensive Coordinator Brian Fleury keeps that rotation going, or if Haynes finally gets the nod to start an entire game, which would be a first for him. This is a massive, massive opportunity for Haynes, especially after what’s been a tough start to his career. He’s got to show out and lock that spot down, because our O-line, and frankly, our whole offense, needs that stability.
It’s a tough blow losing a starter like Bradford, no doubt about it. But this is the NFL, and it’s all about “next man up!” We’ve got to trust Coach Macdonald’s assessment that Bradford will be back sooner rather than later. Until then, all eyes are squarely on Haynes and Stephens to hold down the fort. We need those guys to step up big time if we want to keep this offensive momentum going. Let’s go, Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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