Jamarco Jones has significant ankle injury

Seattle Seahawks rookie tackle Jamarco Jones, who has many admirers and was thought to be in the competition to start at right tackle, will likely miss considerable time after suffering a “serious, high ankle sprain-plus” according to Pete Carroll. Jones suffered the injury in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

Here are some more details on a high ankle sprain, specifically a more serious one (assuming this is what the “plus” stands for):

A high ankle sprain means that the syndesmotic ligaments, which help stabilize the fibula and tibia, have been damaged in some way. Consequently, a bad high ankle sprain could cause significant issues with weight bearing, particularly in changing direction.

A high ankle sprain could be 4-6 weeks of recovery, which could mean that Jones misses the first month of the season. However, as a rookie who likely needs this precious development time, it’s difficult to imagine Jones contributing this season if he misses the next two months. The Seahawks could place him on the physically unable to perform list, which gives him a chance to return midseason, but he may also be looking at a trip to injured reserve.

This makes it even more likely that Germain Ifedi will be the starter at right tackle, though George Fant, Isaiah Battle, and Willie Beavers have one less player to compete against for snaps there.