Rookie defensive tackle Malik McDowell — who suffered a severe concussion in a July September ATV accident — could potentially return to the Seahawks this season, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
“He’s got some stuff coming up in the next couple of weeks, I think it’s within two weeks that he’ll get kind of reassessed and all of that just to see where we are,” Carroll said of McDowell. “There’s been some conversation from different camps kind of about where he is and how he’s doing, so the check-ups are really important, and we’ll just see. We’ve not ruled that thought out that he could come back.”
McDowell, whom the Seahawks selected out of Michigan State in the second round of the 2017 draft, had reportedly been in danger of missing his rookie campaign, but that may not be the case. He’s currently on the non-football injury list, meaning he can return to practice after Seattle’s bye in Week 6. The Seahawks would then have a three-week window during which they can decide to place him on the active roster or injured reserve.
Carroll didn’t rule out adding defensive line help this week given that Cliff Avril is sidelined with a neck injury, but as Condotta notes, the Seahawks have limited options given that Week 5 is quickly approaching. Quinton Jefferson, a former Seattle draft pick whom the club recently re-signed off the Rams’ practice squad, suffered a broken hand and is out for roughly a month, meaning the Hawks are short on depth. Branden Jackson, currently on Seattle’s practice squad, could be a candidate for promotion.