Seahawks’ Jon Ryan suffers concussion on fake punt, Michael Bennett ‘feels fine’

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said punter Jon Ryan suffered a concussion while executing a fake punt in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s win over the Rams. He was taken to a hospital, where his wife posted a picture of him smiling accompanied by a caption saying he’s in good spirits.

“He got a concussion, so we’re going to check him out and take him to the hospital and all that,” Carroll said. “He was pretty loopy, so it’s unfortunate.”

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Carroll said defensive end Michael Bennett is feeling alright. He left the game earlier in the fourth quarter after colliding with Rams running back Todd Gurley in the backfield. Bennett went down immediately and left the game to be evaluated for a possible concussion, but Carroll said it was actually an issue with his neck.

“Mike feels fine. He wrenched his neck. It wasn’t a hit to the head,” Carroll said. “We’re gonna check him out, but he felt fine afterward, so we’ll see what happens. He should be OK.”

Ryan’s status will bear watching next week. The Seahawks would have to add a punter if he isn’t cleared in time for the team’s game against Arizona on Christmas Eve, which is Saturday of next week. The extended time off with the Thursday game will help.

The Seahawks were leading 24-3 with 5:22 when they lined up in punt formation from their own 27-yard line. Ryan took the snap and ran 26 yards for a first down before taking a helmet-to-helmet shot from the Rams’ Troy Hill. Ryan began to bobble the ball right before that.

Carroll joked about it afterward, calling it the play of the night while saying Ryan needed to work on the finish.

“We thought he might make a big gain and all, but we didn’t practice the finish hitting the ground,” Carroll said. “He did not do that well. The ball all the sudden looked like it was greased.”