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More bad luck for Thomas Rawls.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll revealed on his Monday appearance on 710 ESPN that Rawls has a fibula (calf bone, opposite of the tibula, “shin bone”) issue and will be out a few weeks. Ian Rapoport rapoported that he heard it was a hairline fracture.
#Seahawks coach Pete Carroll describes on the radio a “fibula issue” for RB Thomas Rawls. I’m told it’s a hairline fracture. Out a few weeks
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 26, 2016
Rawls suffered the injury in Week 2 vs the LA Rams and sat out Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. It sounds like he will absolutely miss Week 4 against the New York Jets, get a bye the following week, and probably would miss Week 6 at home against the Atlanta Falcons. If “a few weeks” is accurate then perhaps the earliest we may see Rawls again is in Week 7 in Arizona to face the Cardinals.
In the meantime, the Seahawks will continue to turn to Christine Michael, who has 232 rushing yards (eighth in the NFL), 5.2 yards per carry (fifth) and two touchdowns. It seems as though keeping Michael after last year, while a rather low-key move, may have been Seattle’s biggest signing of the offseason. It was actually quite a lucky move because while Michael would have still been on his rookie deal in 2016, because he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys and then released and then picked back up by the Seahawks off of Washington’s practice squad, he would have had to have been tendered an offer. Seattle actually chose not to do that, but then re-signed him a couple weeks later to a one-year deal.
With Rawls out, this should mean at least two or three more starts for Michael and if he continues to play like he has, there’s a good chance he won’t let go of those number one back-type carries. We should also see a heavier dose of rookie Alex Collins, who has six carries for 12 yards this season. No word yet if rookie third down back C.J. Prosise (hand) will return next week against the Jets either.
But Carroll noted that he basically expects right guard first round pick Germain Ifedi to make his NFL debut in Week 4. That could help the running game as well.