Seahawks activate Abraham Lucas off PUP list, place OL on IR

The long-awaited return of right tackle Abraham Lucas may finally be coming for the Seattle Seahawks.

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The Seahawks activated Lucas off the physically unable to perform list Wednesday, clearing the way for a potential season debut Sunday against the rival San Francisco 49ers.

Head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters Monday that a return against the 49ers was a “realistic expectation” for Lucas.

Seattle also placed veteran right tackle George Fant on the injured reserve. Fant, who has played in just two games this season, injured his knee in the team’s Week 9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Lucas hasn’t played since Week 17 of last season and played in just six games in 2023 while dealing with a lingering knee issue. The Washington State product and alum of Everett’s Archbishop Murphy High School had offseason surgery to address the issue in January.

Seattle designated Lucas to return from practice on Oct. 23, which triggered a 21-day window for him to be activated or placed on injured reserve.

The hope is that a healthy Lucas could provide a much-needed boost to an offensive line that has struggled all season, especially at right tackle.

With Lucas out, the Seahawks have gone through a revolving door at the position. Fant was the opening day starter, but left the team’s opener with a knee injury in the first half. Third-string right tackle Stone Forsythe took over afterward, but struggled and eventually ended up on the IR with a hand injury. Fourth-string rookie Michael Jerrell, who played his college ball at D-II Findlay, then started two games. Fant returned during Seattle’s most recent game in Week 9, but again exited in the first half with a knee injury and Jerrell took over for the rest of the game.

Lucas, a third-round pick in 2022, won the starting job at right tackle as a rookie and played in 16 of 17 games. He ranked 39th out of 81 tackles overall and fifth among rookie tackles in Pro Football Focus grading. But he suffered a knee injury in the 2023 season opener and played just six games.

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