Kenneth Walker

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker Back For Week 4

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker was off to a hot start in Week 1 with 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries before leaving the game with an oblique injury. He’s been out ever since, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the third-year rusher will make his return to the field in Week 4.

Since Walker’s departure, Zach Charbonnet has stepped in as the lead back in Seattle. He struggled in his first start of the season, amassing only 38 rushing yards on 14 carries but saved the performance with a touchdown, as well as five catches for 31 yards through the air. Last week, he showed RB1 potential with a 91-yard, two-touchdown performance.

While Walker is returning to the field, it might be in the Seahawks’ best interest to slow-play his comeback. The team will obviously want to get Walker involved in the offense, but if they feel confident with the body of work Charbonnet has put forth thus far, they may continue to give Charbonnet a good number of carries until they’re certain Walker is 100 percent.

Walker’s return is obviously good news, but unfortunately, it comes alongside the announcement that four defensive players will be unavailable this coming Monday. Per Brady Henderson of ESPN, defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy and outside linebackers Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe have all been ruled out for Week 4. Williams, Nwosu, and Mafe have been starters so far this year, while Murphy has played a strong rotational role on the line.

Nwosu has missed Seattle’s first three games with an MCL sprain and is not yet ready to come back. The other three all suffered injuries in last week’s matchup with the Dolphins. Murphy suffered a hamstring injury, Williams hurt his ribs, and Mafe aggravated a previous knee issue. The Seahawks will attempt to use Mike Morris and Myles Adams to fill the holes on the line, while Derick Hall and Dre’Mont Jones should fill in at outside linebacker.

NFL Injury Updates: Higgins, Herbert, Seahawks

The Bengals have operated through the first two weeks of the season without two of their top targets from the 2023 NFL season. Tyler Boyd found his way to Tennessee in free agency, and Tee Higgins has missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury. Quarterback Joe Burrow will be happy to see one of the two return in Week 3 against the Commanders, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.

Higgins has been limited at practice throughout this past week, but the fifth-year wideout claimed that “he feels 100% healthy and…should be able to play at full strength” this Monday night. Higgins broke 1,000 yards receiving in his second NFL season despite missing three games, and he’ll be challenged to do so in 2024 after missing two already.

Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may be just as happy to see Higgins as Burrow is. The only major receiving threat in the team’s first two games, Chase has been limited to 10 catches for 97 yards so far this season. Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin have been the beneficiaries of Higgins’ missed time, and they’ll hope that their early efforts have earned them some targets as WR3 and WR4 moving forward.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been seen very little at practice this week after getting rolled up on in last week’s game. Per James Palmer of Bleacher Report, Herbert told reporters he had been dealing with a high ankle sprain. Herbert also mentioned that a decision hasn’t been made yet on whether or not he’ll play this Sunday.
  • The Seahawks will likely be without four starters in Week 3. Running back Kenneth Walker and linebacker Jerome Baker are both doubtful, while outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and right tackle George Fant have already been ruled out. Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Walker could return in Week 4 after missing two contests. ESPN’s Brady Henderson adds that the team is hopeful Nwosu will be back by then, too. He’s reportedly “progressing really quickly,” according to head coach Mike Macdonald.

Injury Notes: Bears, Walker, Murray, Bosa

The Bears got good news surrounding the knee injury that knocked Rome Odunze out of Sunday’s season opener. Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the rookie wide receiver suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain, the “best-case scenario” for the team and player.

Odunze suffered his MCL injury while blocking for Velus Jones Jr. during a fourth-quarter screen pass. The rookie stayed in the game for one additional play before exiting for good. The wideout is officially considered week-to-week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and there’s been no indication that the ninth-overall pick will have a stay on injured reserve. Coach Matt Eberflus said the Bears were “lucky” to avoid a serious injury, and he even kept the door open to Odunze playing in Week 2.

Wednesday’s injury report also showed that fellow receiver Keenan Allen didn’t practice while nursing a heel injury. Eberflus later clarified that the wideout was considered day-to-day, and there’s hope the offseason acquisition can hit the practice field on Thursday and Friday following his day off.

In the unlikely event that both Odunze and Allen are sidelined, the Bears’ deep wide receiver grouping will be down to just D.J. Moore. Rookie QB Caleb Williams is certainly hoping for his full arsenal of wideouts following an NFL debut where he completed only 14 of 29 pass attempts for 93 yards.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • Kenneth Walker left Sunday’s game with an oblique injury and didn’t practice on Wednesday, per the Seahawks‘ injury report. Mike Macdonald said the running back is day-to-day (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson), but another missed practice would obviously put the player’s Week 2 availability in doubt. Walker exited the season opener after compiling 103 rushing yards and one touchdown. Zach Charbonnet finished the game at running back, scoring a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
  • Kyler Murray was a full participant at today’s practice, but the Cardinals QB still showed up on the injury report with a knee injury. Murray, of course, suffered an ACL injury during the 2022 campaign, and 2024 represented his first healthy offseason in a few years. Murray didn’t miss a snap on Sunday, and it seemed like his knee was in good shape after he ran for 57 yards. Clayton Tune is the only other QB currently on the active roster.
  • The Chargers announced that Joey Bosa was a limited participant at Wednesday’s practice while dealing with a back injury. The pass rusher appeared in 60 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in Week 1, collecting a sack and a forced fumble along the way. The long-time Charger has been snake bitten by injuries over the past few years, missing 20 total games.
  • NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport passes along a list of other notable players who didn’t practice on Wednesday, including Bengals receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring), Chiefs receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder), Browns tight end David Njoku (ankle), Packers quarterback Jordan Love (MCL), and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hip/hamstring).

NFL Injury Rumors: Seahawks, Woods, Ward

The Seahawks already face a tall task tomorrow night as they host the 49ers in the last of the three Thanksgiving Day matchups. That challenge is only made more difficult by the fact that Seattle is dealing with multiple injuries to key players as quarterback Geno Smith and running back Kenneth Walker both head into tomorrow with injury designations.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier today that Smith hadn’t been able to test his bruised elbow much at all yet in the short week. Smith spent today’s practice determining just how much he could throw in order to set expectations on his availability for tomorrow. Later on in the afternoon, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo relayed that “all indications have (Smith) tracking to play” against the rival 49ers Thursday night.

In the case of Walker, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Walker suffered an “oblique strain that was legit,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It sounds, based on Carroll’s press talks, that Walker is in danger of missing some time, but Schefter went on to report that the team doesn’t consider him to be an injured reserve candidate. Walker likely would’ve missed a week on regular rest, but with a short week, it would be extremely unlikely for Walker to make an appearance tomorrow, hence his doubtful game status.

In addition to Smith and Walker, the Seahawks will also be without rookie safety and special teams standout Jerrick Reed II, who reportedly tore his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season, according to Schefter. The sixth-round New Mexico product hasn’t been asked to do much on defense this year but is currently third on the team in special teams tackles.

Here are a few more injury rumors from around the league:

  • The Colts placed second-year tight end Jelani Woods on IR with a hamstring injury just prior to the start of the season in order to open up a roster spot for wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie. It became a given, at that point, that Woods would miss at least the team’s first four games, but to date, he has yet to make his 2023 debut. He’s eligible for activation from IR, but according to Joel A. Erickson of FOX59/CBS4, Woods experienced a setback in his rehabilitation with his opposite hamstring that will keep him from returning for now. Head coach Shane Steichen stated that he “does not know” if it will be a season-ending setback.
  • The Browns may sport one of the league’s best defenses this year, but their secondary is limping into Week 12 as all four starters hold questionable game statuses as of Wednesday. Safeties Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill and cornerback Greg Newsome II all hold a decent chance of playing on Sunday, but cornerback Denzel Ward is dealing with a shoulder injury that may not only hold him out of this weekend’s game but perhaps beyond that, as well, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The team isn’t quite ready to rule Ward out yet, but they are bracing themselves for the idea that they will be without him for multiple games.
  • We have seen high ankle sprains claim the playing time of multiple players this season. Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown sought out a second opinion on his ankle injury yesterday, per Mike Reiss of ESPN, and was diagnosed with both high- and low-ankle sprains, as well as an MCL sprain. Players have missed time with less, but Brown reportedly plans to play through the ankle and knee injuries.

Seahawks Endure Injuries To Top RBs

Seattle fans may not be able to endure much more on the subject of running back injuries. They have already been put through the ringer as they’ve had to deal with constant absences from presumed franchise backs Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny. If you’re feeling triggered as a Seahawks fan, feel free to click away now, because shortly after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported an injury to rookie second-round pick Zach Charbonnet, Schefter’s colleague, Field Yates, reported similar bad news about returning starter Kenneth Walker.

Head coach Pete Carroll told the media today that Charbonnet suffered a shoulder injury and would be out “indefinitely.” He also relayed that Walker has a groin injury and “could be out a while.” The nondescript timelines for these injuries may feel troubling to fans, but it sounds like they have more to do with the level of caution the Seahawks are operating under than the severity of the ailments.

“It just kind of crept up on him, really,” Carroll said of Charbonnet’s shoulder injury. “He didn’t get hit or anything like that. Just all the sudden, he started to feel something, so we’re just checking him out and being really cautious right now.”

With Walker, Carroll confirmed that they’re taking it “week-to-week” saying, “Because it’s a groin, we’ve got to make sure. He doesn’t feel bad. It’s not a terrible injury or anything like that. We just don’t want to aggravate it now and make it something that lingers through camp.”

Hopefully, Seattle fans can breathe a tiny bit easier having read that. The normal posse of former-Hurricane backup running backs was cut in half when Travis Homer signed with the Bears this offseason, so DeeJay Dallas is now taking most of the reps alongside rookie seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh. The only other running backs on the roster taking camp snaps are Bryant Koback and Wayne Taulapapa, an undrafted back out of Washington who signed with the team two days ago.

Latest On Seahawks’ RB Room

Seattle is in line to have a strong backfield in 2023 after supplementing starter Kenneth Walker with rookies Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh. That trio is likely to be joined by DeeJay Dallas, giving the team a number of decisions to make with respect to how each back is used.

All four players, to varying degrees, have shown an ability to produce in the passing game at either the NFL or college levels. That could lead to a notable increase in passing plays out of the backfield this season, ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes. Charbonnet (a second-round selection) and McIntosh (seventh round) in particular helped their draft stock with notable pass-catching seasons in 2022.

Walker stands to serve as the undisputed starter after he finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. His success made it little surprise when Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer departed in free agency, creating the vacancies filled by Charbonnet and McIntosh. Their roles will likely involve signficant pass-catching duties, especially if the Seahawks elect to use a committee approach.

“Yeah, they’re catchers, for sure,” head coach Pete Carroll said of Seattle’s RB room as a whole. “Kenny is a really natural athlete, you can just see it in everything that he does. Zach does everything well… He’s already shown his understanding and his instincts about blocking in the passing game – not the physical side of it, but his assignments and his footwork and stuff like that. We’ve just got to throw them out there and start handing the ball to them, see what happens and see who produces and all.”

As his last remark confirms, little is known at this point with respect to the pecking order behind Walker on the depth chart. Heavy involvement in the passing game out of the backfield could help Seattle’s rookies see the field right away, though the team’s receiver trio of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba figures to limit the amount of targets available at the RB position.

As Henderson notes, Carroll has not traditionally favored using Seattle’s backs prominently in the passing game. Given the skillsets available to him now, however, it would come as little surprise if that philosophy shifted in 2023 and the years immediately following this season.

Seahawks Planning To Carry Four RBs?

The Seahawks were able to clear out some space in their running backs room this offseason as they allowed Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer to depart for Philadelphia and Chicago, respectively, in free agency. Tony Jones signed with the Broncos and fellow practice squad running backs Godwin Igwebuike and Wayne Gallman both still sit on the free agent market after their contracts with the team expired, leaving only Kenneth Walker and DeeJay Dallas on the roster leading up to the draft.

Seattle drafted two rookies to join Walker and Dallas and now face yet another season in which they may be rostering four or more running backs. In fact, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times is fairly sure that four backs will be retained on the 53-man roster with the likely question being who takes that fourth spot.

Walker, who finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting with an impressive debut outing, is certain to return as the team’s lead back. After amassing 1,050 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in 11 starts, Walker will be looking to take the next step in his sophomore season.

Dallas returns for the final year of his rookie contract. He’s never gotten to display much as a backup running back, usually splitting touches with Homer and Penny, not to mention Chris Carson, Alex Collins, and Carlos Hyde in previous years, but this may be the year that Dallas gets to breakout out as a true primary backup behind Walker. Even if the two rookies prevent him from establishing a role as RB2, Dallas’s roster spot should be safe. Over his three years in Seattle, Dallas has been a dedicated special teams contributor and a reliable returner of both punts and kickoffs.

The Seahawks used a second-round selection, their fourth pick in the first two rounds, to select Zach Charbonnet out of UCLA. Charbonnet projects as the most likely option to unseat Dallas as the second back behind Walker. After a strong freshman season at Michigan that saw him rush for 726 yards and 11 touchdowns, Charbonnet lost carries as a sophomore to Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum, leading to a transfer to the west coast. Charbonnet responded to losing his job in Ann Arbor by dominating the Pac-12, rushing for 2,496 yards and 27 touchdowns over two seasons with the Bruins. He brings a bit more size to the position than Walker or Dallas yet still provides a surprising agility to go along with great vision and reliable pass-catching.

Kenny McIntosh was the team’s final draft pick of 2023 in the seventh round. As a senior at Georgia last year, McIntosh finally got an opportunity to perform as the lead back after the NFL departures of James Cook and Zamir White. McIntosh delivered with 829 rushing yards for 10 touchdowns, but he truly thrived as a receiving back, catching 43 passes for 505 yards and two more touchdowns in 2022. Walker, Dallas, and Charbonnet all have some pass-catching ability, but McIntosh’s specialty in the area may be enough to secure him a roster spot as a rookie. McIntosh has similar size to Charbonnet and has more experience as a committee back with a receiving role from his time with the Bulldogs.

The only other back on the roster, after the team waived undrafted rookie Chris Smith this week, is Bryant Koback, a previously undrafted running back who spent last season on the Vikings’ practice squad. Koback put up ridiculous numbers at Toledo, rushing for 4,026 yards and 45 touchdowns over his career as a Rocket. That total could’ve been even higher if Koback hadn’t been limited to six games in a COVID-shortened 2020 season. While Koback has a strong college resume, Condotta is under the impression that it will take a lot in order for him to unseat McIntosh as the fourth running back on the roster.

Therein lies the plan for Seattle in 2023. Walker should continue as the team’s lead back with either Dallas or Charbonnet taking over key backup duties. Dallas can also compete for pass-catching duties with the other rookie, McIntosh. And, unless Charbonnet and McIntosh make Dallas completely superfluous with strong special teams contributions of their own, Dallas should continue to be a core special teamer for the Seahawks. All this while Koback gives his best audition to prove he deserves a chance in the regular season.

Seahawks RBs Kenneth Walker, DeeJay Dallas Game-Time Decisions

DECEMBER 11: Walker is not expected to play against the Panthers, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Seahawks hope to have him back in action for their upcoming Thursday night matchup with the 49ers.

DECEMBER 10, 3:05pm: Walker and Dallas have both been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow’s game, increasing the likelihood that they make an appearance against the Panthers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The two still have not practiced all week, so it will be intriguing to see if they are still game-time decisions tomorrow and how much they will play, if at all.

The team also announced that it will be elevating practice squad running back Godwin Igwebuike, who converted to running back last year for the Lions after a couple years as an NFL safety. In 17 games with the Lions last season, Igwebuike ran the ball 18 times for 118 yards and a touchdown, adding seven catches for 60 yards. He also returned kickoffs for the Lions, which may indicate that he is taking an injured Dallas’s spot on the kickoff return team.

Seattle will use its second standard gameday elevation on practice squad receiver Laquon Treadwell.

DECEMBER 10, 2:04pm: Initially listed as questionable after injuries in last weekend’s win over the Rams, Seahawks running backs Kenneth Walker and DeeJay Dallas have both been downgraded to doubtful leading into the team’s matchup against the Panthers this Sunday, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Both Walker and Dallas will be game-time decisions to play this weekend.

Seattle was closing in on panic mode as Walker, Dallas, and fourth-stringer Tony Jones all left the game with injuries. With primary backup running back Travis Homer already declared out for last week’s game, the Seahawks were in trouble when Walker and Dallas exited the game. When Jones sustained a hard hit and made his way to the injury tent, Dallas was asked to return to play despite being listed as doubtful to return.

Walker and Dallas are both technically possible actives for tomorrow, but neither has participated in practice at all this week. This may present Homer with his fist starting opportunity since his rookie season. A former sixth-round draft pick out of Miami, Homer has mostly served as a reserve back in a deep position room. Behind the team’s usual top running backs duo, Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, Homer was granted few opportunities to run the ball or show his prowess catching passes out of the backfield during his first three seasons.

Homer has held onto a roster spot much the same way as his former Hurricanes teammate, Dallas: stellar special teams play. While Dallas’s special teams impact has come as a returner. Homer tends to play on all of the kickoff, punt, and return units. He’s racked up a good amount of special teams tackles with aggressive play and even forced some turnovers. In fact, his lone rushing touchdown in the NFL could be attributed to his special teams play as he scored on a 73-yard rush during a fake punt. He has another special teams touchdown from an onside kick recovery that saw him recover the attempt and speed past would be tacklers as they looked for a ball that was on its way to the endzone.

Homer’s first start three seasons ago came in a Week 17 game that saw injuries force his way up the depth chart. The team signed then-retired running back Marshawn Lynch to back him up, welcoming Lynch back after four years away from the team. In his lone regular-season start, Homer rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries and caught all five of his targets for 30 more yards. He also started the Seahawks’ first-round playoff game before Lynch got the start in the second round.

If Walker and Dallas are unable to go, Jones will likely serve as Homer’s backup. Recent practice squad addition, Wayne Gallman, is also reportedly ready to play if Seattle needs him. Whoever is taking handoffs, Seattle may need a big game from them against a Panthers defense that has been more vulnerable to the run than the pass this year. A big game from Homer and company may be needed to keep the Seahawks from going 0-4 against the NFC South this season.

NFL Injury Rumors: Donald, Stafford, Walker, Queen

Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald reportedly has no intentions of joining star teammates quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve this season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Donald suffered a high ankle sprain last week in the team’s loss to the Chiefs, but the belief is that the injury is mild and Donald will be able to return this season.

Specifically, Donald has intentions of returning by Week 15 for a Sunday night matchup against the Packers. Donald has his ankle immobilized to promote its healing and is determined to make a comeback this season. Rapoport posits that “the way Donald is wired, he has no plans to shut it down regardless of the team’s record.”

Here are a couple of other injury rumors, starting with another one of the Rams injured stars:

  • Although it remains undetermined whether or not the Rams have any plans of bringing back their star quarterback, the newest updates indicate that Stafford’s recent placement on IR marks the end of his season, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Head coach Sean McVay explained Stafford’s injury as a spinal cord contusion. With the team sitting at 3-9, good for last place in the NFC West, Los Angeles probably doesn’t think it’s worth the risk to trot the 34-year-old quarterback out on the field with so little on the line.
  • The Seahawks took some real lumps in their win over the Rams today, sustaining a litany of injuries to their running backs room. Already short primary backup Travis Homer, who was downgraded to out prior to kickoff after dealing with illness and a knee injury all week, both starter Kenneth Walker III and third-string DeeJay Dallas exited the game with ankle injuries. Walker was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game while Dallas was designated as doubtful to return, leaving the team with only fourth-string running back Tony Jones. Minutes later, Jones would take a big hit that would put him in the medical tent, forcing the previously doubtful Dallas to return to the game. Seattle has dealt with injuries in the position room all year. Aside from losing Rashaad Penny for the season, Walker joined the team late after a hernia surgery and Homer previously spent four weeks on IR. With all those absences, it’s no surprise the Seahawks picked Jones up off of waivers in October and are now carrying four running backs on the active roster. Nobody could’ve guessed that four wouldn’t be enough.
  • Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson wasn’t the only Baltimore player to leave the game with an injury earlier today. Starting linebacker Patrick Queen was carted off the field with a thigh injury and was ruled out for the remainder of what was a defensive slug fest against the Broncos. Head coach John Harbaugh was able to tell the media that x-rays were negative for the third-year linebacker and that Queen had been diagnosed with a thigh bruise. If the injury is serious, Queen could miss his first game since being drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With veteran inside linebacker Josh Bynes also dealing with an injury, this would leave the Ravens fairly thin with newly acquired Roquan Smith and Malik Harrison to start and only special teamer Kristian Welch to relieve them, as another special teamer, Del’Shawn Phillips, also deals with an injury.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Golden, 49ers

While much of the SeahawksRussell Wilson drama should be expected to recede in the coming weeks, now that the Broncos’ Seattle date has come and gone, the decorated quarterback and his former team will still be connected in the years to come. One of the recent discussion points involving Wilson centered around previous times the Seahawks explored trading him. Wilson confirmed recently he knew about multiple trade talks the Seahawks engaged in during his 10-year run.

Definitely they tried to, a couple different times, to try and see what was out there,’’ Wilson said of Seattle trade talks (via 9News’ Mike Klis). “It’s part of the business and it’s part of being a professional and everything else. ‘Upset’ is probably the wrong word. I believe in my talent and who I am.”

Wilson, who threw for 340 yards and a touchdown in a Seattle return that became overshadowed by Nathaniel Hackett‘s strange final-minute field goal strategy, was asked specifically about Seahawks-Browns talks in 2018. The Seahawks were linked to attempting to trade their perennial Pro Bowl QB to the Browns for the No. 1 overall pick. A 2020 report indicated the Seahawks wanted both the Browns’ Nos. 1 and 4 picks in 2018 (which turned into Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward), but those conversations were more conceptual in nature. Nevertheless, the Seahawks’ trade discussions involving Wilson led to the no-trade clause in his 2019 extension. QB trades were less prevalent in 2018 compared to their frequency today; a Wilson move at that point would have been far more shocking than it was in 2022.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Rashaad Penny received the bulk of the carries for the Seahawks in their upset win over the Broncos, but the team’s rookie back will make his debut this week. Ken Walker will return after missing weeks due to a hernia surgery. Pete Carroll confirmed the second-round pick will be active against the 49ers, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta (on Twitter). Penny, a 2018 first-round pick who showed his best form at the end of last season, is signed to a one-year deal. Walker’s rookie contract runs through 2025.
  • The Cardinals gave Markus Golden a short extension, a one-year bump that runs through 2023. The veteran edge rusher’s deal maxes out at $6.5MM. A sack-based incentive package worth $2MM is included in that total. Golden can earn $250K for reaching six sacks and another $250K for totaling eight, Howard Balzer of SI.com tweets. If Golden registers 10 sacks, he will collect a $500K bonus. A 12-sack season would mean an additional $1MM. Golden, 31, should have a reasonable chance of acquiring some additional cash. He has three double-digit sack seasons as a pro, his most recent coming in 2021 (11). Of course, Arizona’s pass-rushing situation looks a bit different now, seeing that All-Pro Chandler Jones signed with the Raiders.
  • Elijah Mitchell‘s MCL sprain and IR trip will change the 49ers‘ backfield equation. After being inactive in Week 1, third-round rookie Tyrion Davis-Price will suit up against the Seahawks. Kyle Shanahan said the back end of his backfield committee, one that will be fronted by Jeff Wilson, will be a hot-hand situation between Davis-Price and rookie UDFA Jordan Mason. The latter’s special teams ability and Davis-Price’s early issues in pass protection led to him being inactive against the Bears, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News notes. Although Davis-Price has the highest draft pedigree of San Francisco’s current backs, the 49ers bailing on third-rounder Trey Sermon after one season shows Shanahan is unafraid to prioritize lower-level investments at this position.