The Seattle Seahawks are officially without starting left tackle Charles Cross and edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu for Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears, a brutal hit revealed in Friday’s injury report. Cross, who was injured last week, and Nwosu both missed practice on Thursday and Friday. This is a massive blow to the offensive line and the pass rush, and it sets a wild tone for the Lumen Field matchup.
Defensive Line Woes and Offensive Line Shifts
Losing Charles Cross means we’re going to see plenty of swing tackle Josh Jones stepping up on Monday night. That’s a huge ask against any NFL front, and you know the Bears are going to try to exploit that. But the hit to the pass rush with Nwosu out? That could be just as big. Our pass rush has been inconsistent with four rushers, and Nwosu is usually incredible at containing quarterbacks who try to scramble out of the pocket. So what’s the move against Caleb Williams? Expect the Hawks to blitz, and blitz hard.
It’s not just Nwosu though, our defensive tackle room is facing some serious challenges. While we got some welcome good news with Leonard Williams, who practiced in full after being limited Thursday with an Achilles issue, fellow star defensive lineman Byron Murphy popped up on the injury report with a back injury that kept him limited on Friday. On top of that, backup Brandon Pili also missed Friday’s practice with a back injury. That’s three key defensive linemen either out or hobbled! And let’s not forget wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, who looks very likely to be sidelined after missing his second straight day of practice. We’ll need Tory Horton to really step up big on both offense and special teams to fill that void.
Running Backs Get a Boost, Linebackers Are Still a Puzzle
It’s not all bad news, thankfully. The running back room is finally getting a much-needed boost before Monday night. Rookie Jadarian Price was a full participant in practice after coming off an IR stint, and his return couldn’t be timelier. Why? Because Zach Charbonnet was limited with a knee injury, and backup Velus Jones Jr. missed Friday’s practice completely with a hamstring injury. It’s a revolving door back there, so Price’s return is huge.
The linebacking core continues to be a bit of a mystery box. Drake Thomas’s return looks imminent, which is great news; he was a full participant in practice after missing several games with an ankle injury. But then you have Tyrice Knight who was limited, Chazz Surratt was a full participant, and Patrick O’Connell missed Friday’s practice entirely. It’s a mix of good and bad, but getting Thomas back is definitely a win.
The game designations will drop on Saturday, but based on this Friday report, the Seahawks are going into Monday night against the Chicago Bears needing some serious grit and a whole lot of strategic adjustments. It’s going to be a tough battle, but our Hawks always find a way to make it exciting. Let’s see what Mike Macdonald cooks up for Williams and that Bears offense!
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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