Seahawks placing DE Rasheem Green on IR due to stinger

The Seahawks took another hit to their pass rush on Friday, with the news that defensive end Rasheem Green would be placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least three weeks. ESPN’s Field Yates was first with the report and Pete Carroll later confirmed the move.

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Green, 23, was a third-round draft pick out of USC in 2018 and after struggling as a rookie due in part to injuries, he played a full-time role in 2019 and wound up leading the Seahawks in sacks with four.

He entered the 2020 season backing up L.J. Collier at the five-technique defensive end position, but was still expected to contribute as the Seahawks used a wider pass-rush rotation than they had in 2019. But in the Seahawks’ Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Green suffered what was initially called a shoulder injury, but later, head coach Pete Carroll said Green had suffered a stinger, which is a nerve injury common in football typically when the shoulder gets pulled one way while the head and neck goes the other way.

Green was already ruled out of Seattle’s Week 3 home contest with the Dallas Cowboys, and under the new NFL injured reserve list rules, Green is out for, at minimum, three weeks. Since the Seahawks have a bye in Week 6, that would mean that the next game Green could appear in would be Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Green’s placement on IR means that the Seahawks now have an open roster spot on their 53-man roster, which could be filled either by a member of the team’s practice squad or by a free agent.

One thought with Green’s injury, as well as linebacker/defensive end Bruce Irvin’s ACL tear in Week 2, is that Shaquem Griffin could be recalled from the practice squad as he has experience both at strongside linebacker and as an edge rusher. Griffin could also be promoted to the gameday roster while still remaining on the practice squad under 2020 NFL rules.

Additionally, the Seahawks could promote a defensive back because starting cornerback Quinton Dunbar and cornerback/special teams captain Neiko Thorpe are questionable with knee and hip injuries, respectfully. Ryan Neal, Galvin Heslop and Jayson Stanley are all cornerbacks on Seattle’s practice squad.

The Seahawks also have a reported visit with 2016 First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison next week according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, so Seattle could leave that roster spot open for their Week 3 game with the hope of signing Harrison on his visit next week.

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