RENTON — An underrated key to the Seahawks’ surprising offensive success in the first half of the 2025 season has been continuity on the offensive line.
In getting out to a 7-2 start and ranking third in points per game at 30.6, the Seahawks have started the same five on the line in every game, including in Sunday’s 44-22 win over Arizona.
That’s in stark contrast to the 2024 line, which had six different starting lineups throughout the season and 10 different starters.
That continuity will be disrupted for the first time Sunday when the Seahawks play at the Los Angeles Rams in a showdown for first place in the NFC West as coach Mike Macdonald said starting center Jalen Sundell will miss “multiple weeks” with a knee injury suffered in the second quarter against the Cardinals.
Macdonald said Sundell may have to go on injured reserve, which would mean missing at least four games but that the injury is “not season-ending, as of today. … We’ll see how it goes. But hopefully we’ll get him back.”
The good news is the Seahawks have an experienced replacement in Olu Oluwatimi, a third-year player who was a fifth-round pick out of Michigan in 2023.
Oluwatimi started the final eight games a year ago when Connor Williams shockingly retired at midseason and also got one start as a rookie in 2023.
Sundell and Oluwatimi were in what appeared to be a dead heat for the starting center job heading into training camp, with Oluwatimi considered by some as having a slight edge as camp began.
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Oluwatimi missed a few weeks of training camp with a back injury which opened the door for Sundell — a second-year player out of North Dakota State — to win the job.
“I thought he was playing really well for us,’’ Macdonald said of Sundell. “A lot of the things that he does well Olu does, too. … He’s tough, resilient, all of those things. But Olu is, too. Olu is also a really good player and he’s played great football for us and that’s what we’re going to need from him.’’
Oluwatimi has played just 30 snaps this season — including nine in the win at Pittsburgh when Sundell dealt with cramps — before being called on to play 33 against Arizona.
Oluwatimi’s day got off to a rocky start as he was called for a false start on his first snap on a play at the Arizona 1-yard-line (they scored on the next play) and also botched a snap with quarterback Sam Darnold on the next series that resulted in a lost fumble at the Seattle 3-yard-line.
Oluwatimi smoothed things out, finishing with a solid 78.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, including 82.5 in run blocking, the best on the team.
Macdonald cited Oluwatimi’s blocking as a key in the second half when the Seahawks — who led 35-0 midway through the second quarter — emphasized their running attack in attempting to run the clock out. They had 121 yards rushing on 25 attempts in the second half while Darnold threw just two passes.
“Really excited for Olu,” Macdonald said. “Talk about staying ready and then when his opportunity presented itself, played some really good football for us and was really a catalyst behind a lot of those runs.”
A bigger question may be who will be his backup.
Rookie Bryce Cabeldue, a sixth-round pick out of Kansas, has been active for every game this season, largely because he is the third-team center as well as playing guard. Cabeldue played the final six plays Sunday and also had a botched exchange with backup QB Drew Lock that the Seahawks recovered.
Macdonald noted that 2024 third-round pick Christian Haynes — listed as a guard — can also play center. Haynes, the 81st overall pick in 2024 out of UConn, got some snaps at center in training camp before suffering a pectoral injury that landed him on injured reserve.
Before the injury he had lost the battle for the right guard spot to Anthony Bradford and figured to enter the season as a backup on gamedays.
Haynes returned to practice on Oct. 29 and the team will have to decide by next week if he either goes on the 53-man roster or stays on IR for the rest of the season.
The injury to Sundell appears to open the door for a scenario where Sundell goes on IR and opens a spot for Haynes, though Macdonald said Monday nothing has been decided.
“He’s practicing well,” Macdonald said of Haynes, confirming the team continues to consider him as an option at guard and center. “He’s not getting reps with the ones, but he’s going up against our D-line. This week will probably paint a better picture of what we need to do moving forward.”
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Another possible long-term option is Shane Lemieux, who is on the practice squad injured reserve dating to Oct. 8. He started four games at center last year for the Saints when Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak held the same role in New Orleans. Lemieux signed on Sept. 20.
Reed has second surgery, team optimistic for return
Macdonald said defensive tackle Jarran Reed had a second surgery Monday morning to repair a wrist/thumb injury that he suffered against Houston on Oct. 20. Macdonald revealed Sunday that Reed had an initial surgery during the bye week following the Houston game, which had him listed as questionable for the Washington game.
Reed played against the Commanders and the team thought he had made it through the game OK, listing him as a full participant in practice all week in the run-up to the win over Arizona.
On Saturday, Reed was placed on injured reserve after it was determined the injury was not healing the way the team hoped.
Being on IR means Reed will have to sit out three more games. Macdonald said there’s no clear ETA for when he could return but said the team remains hopeful he will make it back at some point.
No update on Jones, Horton, Jobe
Macdonald said he had no update on three key players how sat out Sunday with injuries — middle linebacker Ernest Jones IV (knee), cornerback Josh Jobe (concussion) and receiver Tory Horton (shin/groin).
“Too early to know (if they can play Sunday against the Rams),’’ Macdonald said. “… We’ve got to play it day-by-day with those guys. But I’d say all three are hoping to play.”
Macdonald lauds Pritchett’s play
Jobe’s injury opened the door for Riq Woolen to again start at one cornerback spot opposite Devon Witherspoon and for second-year corner Nehemiah Pritchett to play in six-defensive back sets. Pritchett played a season-high 23 snaps and turned in what Macdonald said was one of the game’s key plays when he broke up a pass in the end zone from Jacoby Brissett to Marvin Harrison Jr. on a fourth-down play late in the third quarter with the Seahawks ahead 38-15.
Pritchett had to twist to and bring his right hand around to knock the ball away as the two fell to the turf.
“We showed the TV copy to the guys multiple times,” Macdonald said. “The body control and awareness, I’ve never really seen a play like that before. … Nehemiah played his best game as a Seahawk yesterday, and we expect that from him moving forward. It’s on tape now. That play probably ultimately sealed the win for us, because otherwise if they make that touchdown, it’s down to a two-score game with, 20 minutes to go or something. That was a big-time play.”
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.