RENTON — Starting middle linebacker Ernest Jones IV was listed as a limited participant by the Seahawks for Wednesday’s practice.
The listing was an estimation since the team did not hold an actual practice, instead going with a walk-through after coming off their win at Washington on Sunday night and the long and late trip back.
Estimation or not, that listing seems like good news for coach Mike Macdonald, who said Monday that Jones was undergoing tests after suffering a knee injury late in the second quarter against the Commanders that sidelined him for the second half of an eventual 38-14 win.
After the game, Macdonald had not ruled out that Jones might have to miss this Sunday’s contest against Arizona at Lumen Field.
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Macdonald cautioned Wednesday that while the news appears to be good in the big picture, there’s still some steps Jones has to take to play against the Cardinals.
“He’s working through it,” Macdonald said before the walk-through. “He’s going to be part of our walk-through. We’ll see how much he does. … I’m sure he’ll be listed limited to some capacity today, and then we’ll see tomorrow. But he’s in good spirits.”
Macdonald clarified the injury is not related to a knee issue Jones dealt with last season that required offseason surgery.
If Jones can’t play Sunday, the Seahawks will go with Drake Thomas and Tyrice Knight as their starting inside linebackers. Thomas took over the role of wearing the “green dot” helmet and relaying the play calls from Macdonald to the rest of the defense after Jones was sidelined.
Three WRs, Jobe sit out walk-through
Cornerback Josh Jobe sat out the walk-through while still in the concussion protocol after being injured in the second quarter Sunday.
Also listed as sitting out were three receivers who sat out against Washington — Cooper Kupp (hamstring, heel), Jake Bobo (Achilles) and Dareke Young (quadriceps).
Tight end AJ Barner (calf) was also listed as limited. Everybody else was a full participant.
Kupp entered last week with a heel injury and suffered a hamstring injury in practice that caused him to miss the Commanders game.
Macdonald had said he anticipated Kupp being able to be on the field Wednesday “to some degree,” though he ended up listed as DNP.
The Washington game was the first the 32-year-old Kupp, who is second on the team with 24 receptions for 293 yards and a TD, has missed this season.
Kupp was listed as questionable for the Washington game before being declared inactive.
Asked if Kupp was close to playing, Macdonald said: “I’m not going to say close or not close, but he wanted to play — it was just the best thing for him not to. The guy’s a stud. He’s going to do everything possible to play and it’s up to us to make the best decision for him and for the team.”
As for the status of Young and Bobo this week, Macdonald said “we’re still going to figure out what’s going on there.”
Macdonald said the team isn’t considering putting either player on injured reserve, which would require missing four games.
“Right now, no,” he said.
The Seahawks had just four receivers available for the Washington game, including practice-squad elevations Cody White and Ricky White III to go along with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tory Horton.
The addition of Rashid Shaheed in a trade with New Orleans on Tuesday adds to the receiver depth and could mean the Seahawks can play it more cautions with Kupp, Young and Bobo.
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Shaheed took part in the walk-through wearing his familiar No. 22.
Shaheed talked for a few minutes with special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh after walking onto the field and headed back to handle a few returns before the full walk-through began.
If Jobe can’t play, the Seahawks will start Riq Woolen at cornerback alongside Devon Witherspoon.
Seahawks lose safety Reed to Titans
A day after he was waived by the Seahawks to make room on the roster for Shaheed, safety Jerrick Reed II was claimed by the Tennessee Titans.
Reed played in 19 games for the Seahawks the last three seasons since arriving as a sixth-round pick out of New Mexico in 2023.
He played in 10 as a rookie before suffering a season-ending knee injury in November.
After recovering from that he played in five last season.
He was waived by the Seahawks at the roster cutdown in late August but cleared waivers and re-signed to the practice squad. He went up and down from the practice squad to the 53-man roster two times this year and also played in three games as a practice squad elevation.
He was signed to the 53-man roster on Saturday when the Seahawks placed Julian Love on IR and made two tackles before being waived on Tuesday.
Reed saw almost all of his snaps this year on special teams — 62, compared to 13 on defense.
With Love on IR for at least three more weeks, Reed’s departure leaves the Seahawks a little thin at safety.
The other safeties on the 53-man roster are Coby Bryant, Ty Okada, Nick Emmanwori — who is mostly playing in a nickel cornerback role — and D’Anthony Bell and the Seahawks only have one on the practice squad in rookie Maxen Hook.
Hook, a four-year starter at Toledo who was in training camp with the Eagles before being released in the cutdown to 53-man roster, was signed on Oct. 8 and has not appeared in an NFL game.
Notes
Witherspoon played 47 of a possible 65 snaps against Washington in his first game back after sitting out the previous three with an MCL contusion. Macdonald said Witherspoon made it through the game without any setbacks, saying “Spoon is feeling good.”
The team revealed Tuesday it will wear its college Navy look — Navy jerseys and pants — for Sunday’s game. They are 67-30 in that look, which debuted in 2012, including 2-0 this year, wins against New Orleans and Houston.
Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Bob Condotta is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times who primarily covers the Seahawks but also dabbles in other sports. He has worked at The Times since 2002, reporting on University of Washington Husky football and basketball for his first 10 years at the paper before switching to the Seahawks in 2013.