SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Seahawks place another key defender on injured reserve

Oct 16, 2024, 2:10 PM | Updated: 3:03 pm

Seattle Seahawks Rayshawn Jenkins after fumble return New York Giants 2024...

Seattle Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins looks on during a 2024 game. (Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)

(Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)

The Seattle Seahawks’ injury situation on defense just got worse.

The Seahawks placed starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins on the injured reserve Wednesday afternoon, meaning the eighth-year veteran will miss at least the next four games. For the past two weeks, Jenkins was on the injury report with a hand injury and played with a cast on his left hand.

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To fill the open roster spot, Seattle signed safety Ty Okada from the practice squad. Okada, an undrafted second-year pro out of Montana State, had a strong preseason. He has appeared in six games for the Seahawks over the past two seasons, logging 45 special-teams snaps. He was elevated from the practice squad last week and played seven special-teams snaps against San Francisco.

With Jenkins out, the Seahawks’ safety group consists of veteran starter Julian Love, K’Von Wallace, Coby Bryant and Okada.

Jenkins, who played the previous three seasons with Jacksonville, signed a two-year contract with Seattle in March. The former fourth-round pick out of Miami is the only Seahawk to play every defensive snap this year. He ranks third on the team with 38 tackles and had a franchise-record 102-yard fumble return touchdown against the Giants in Week 5.

Jenkins is the third Seattle defensive player to land on the injured reserve in the past week. Veteran outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu was placed on the IR last Thursday with a thigh injury after missing the first four games with an MCL sprain. And on Tuesday, veteran reserve cornerback Artie Burns headed to the IR with a toe injury.

The Seahawks (3-3) have allowed a league-high 35.7 points per game during their three-game losing streak, which coincides with facing tougher opponents and being hit with a slew of injuries. Nwosu, outside linebacker Boye Mafe, defensive tackle Leonard Williams, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, linebacker Jerome Baker and cornerback Riq Woolen have each missed at least one game over the past three weeks.

Seattle travels to face Atlanta (4-2) on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m., with Seahawks Radio Network coverage starting at 7 a.m. with the pregame show on Seattle Sports.

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