The Seahawks carried J.D. McKissic through to their 53-man roster, but he will not be available for at least eight weeks now.
McKissic will head to IR, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Former Browns linebacker Jermaine Grace, whom the Seahawks claimed off waivers, will take McKissic’s roster spot, per Yates.
A third-year running back, McKissic is dealing with a Jones fracture in his foot. He was not slated to be ready for Week 1 and will now have plenty of time to heal up. It’s not certain Seattle will bring him off IR when he’s healthy, however. The Seahawks only have two IR-return slots, and whether McKissic is brought back for second-half action this season will depend on how the team fares with injuries during the first half.
Seattle may also be without Rashaad Penny in Week 1. Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise and Mike Davis represent the Seahawks’ current healthy running backs. They carried five through to their 53-man unit, presumably knowing McKissic was IR-bound. Had the Seahawks placed their agile backup on IR before Saturday’s cutdown day, he would have had to miss the entire season.
A former UDFA, McKissic saw action in 13 games last season in a complex campaign for Seahawks running backs.
The Browns waived Grace on Sunday to make room for one of the five new players they added via post-cutdown waivers. A 2017 UDFA who saw scant action as a rookie with the Falcons and Colts last year, Grace will join a Seahawks linebacking corps that will likely be without K.J. Wright in Week 1.