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Abraham Lucas

Seahawks Activate Abraham Lucas, Place George Fant On IR

November 13th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks activated right tackle Abraham Lucas from the Physically Unable to Perform list and placed George Fant on injured reserve on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Head coach Mike Macdonald indicated on Monday that he expected Lucas to start in Week 11 after finally recovering from offseason knee surgery. However, his activation is no guarantee that he make his season debut on Sunday. Seattle opened Lucas’ practice window 21 days ago, so he had to be moved to the active roster to avoid reverting to the PUP list for the rest of the season.

The Seahawks will certainly be hoping that Lucas can start at right tackle this weekend after moving Fant to injured reserve for the second time this season. He suffered a knee injury after 19 snaps in Week 1 and returned in Week 9 for just 17 snaps before re-injuring his knee and exiting the game.

This is the second year in a row that Seattle has struggled with health at the tackle position. Left tackle Charles Cross injured his toe in Week 1 in 2023 and missed the next three games. Lucas was placed on injured reserve after a knee injury in Week 1 and returned in Week 13 for five starts before going down once more, with then-head coach Pete Carroll calling it a “chronic” problem. The Seahawks then signed Fant to a two-year, $9.1MM in the offseason as insurance for Lucas’ ongoing recovery from knee surgery. Fant appeared in 16 games for the Texans in 2023, but played just 36 snaps this season with knee issues of his own.

All of the tackle injuries have pressed 2021 sixth-rounder Stone Forsythe into a starting role for the second year in a row. He started eight games in 2023 – three at left tackle and five at right tackle – along with four relief appearances across the two positions. Forsythe then replaced Fant in Week 1 this year and started the next five games at right tackle before landing on injured reserve with a hand injury. Rookie Michael Jerrell then started in Weeks 7 and 8 before relieving Fant in Week 9 after the recurrence of his knee injury.

While Lucas is expected to play in Week 11, Jerrell will start at right tackle if the Seahawks wants to give their 2022 third-rounder more time before he takes the field.

Seahawks’ Abraham Lucas Expected To Debut In Week 11

November 11th, 2024 at 8:57pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks are expecting to have right tackle Abraham Lucas back in the starting lineup for their Week 11 matchup with the 49ers.

Head coach Mike Macdonald said that it is a “realistic expectation” that Lucas would make his season debut next Sunday, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Lucas started the 2024 on the Physically Unable to Perform list while recovering from offseason knee surgery. He first injured his knee in Week 1 last year and did not play again until Week 13. Lucas then started Seattle’s next five games before leaving Week 17 with a recurrence of the same injury that required corrective surgery and a lengthy rehab process.

Seattle relied on Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan to replace Lucas in 2023, but both players struggled in their starts. The Seahawks signed George Fant in the offseason to fill in at right tackle during Lucas’ recovery, but he could be in line for his second stint on injured reserve this season after re-injuring his knee last week, per Henderson. Fant first landed on IR in September, forcing Forsythe to step into starting duties for a second year in a row with Curhan now in Chicago.

Lucas’ extended absence has negatively impacted Geno Smith‘s pass protection this season. The Seahawks allowed 38 sacks in 2023, the 10th-fewest in the NFL, but have already allowed 28 sacks in nine games this year, the 10th-most in the league. A successful return from Lucas would help Seattle stay in contention for the NFC West crown.

Seahawks Designate Abraham Lucas For Return From PUP List; George Fant In IR-Return Window

October 23rd, 2024 at 12:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Abraham Lucas‘ health issues have forced the Seahawks to make a few adjustments over the past two seasons. One of them involved a reunion with George Fant. Both tackles have been largely out of the mix for Seattle this season.

The Seahawks are slowly seeing some returns, however; both Fant and Lucas are back at practice. For Lucas, this is a designation from the reserve/PUP list. Fant is being designated for return off IR. Both players have 21 days to be activated.

This is a long time coming for Lucas, who has spent most of the year recovering from surgery. Lucas, who missed 11 games last season due to a knee injury, has been Seattle’s first-string right tackle since he was drafted in the 2022 third round. He and 2022 first-round LT Charles Cross played key roles in Geno Smith‘s surprising resurgence, but while Cross has been generally available, his counterpart has not. Pete Carroll went so far as to call Lucas’ knee injury chronic, and his rehab arc has supported the dismissed HC’s assertion.

Although the Seahawks’ new coaching staff has pushed back on the “chronic” label, this group has also seen the Washington State alum take longer than expected to come back. Lucas suffered the knee injury in Week 1 of the 2023 season and was not activated until Nov. 30 of last year. He returned to finish the season but needed a procedure done soon after. The recovery from said procedure had defined Lucas’ year to this point.

It should be expected the Seahawks will give Lucas multiple weeks to practice before activating him. Lucas will need to show good form upon return, and it will be interesting to see if he reacquires his job under a new coaching staff. Fant, 32, has considerable experience at both tackle spots, beginning with a run in Seattle after a college hoops career. The veteran has started 74 career games, including Week 1. Fant went down 13 plays into the season, though, suffering a knee injury against the Broncos.

Signed to a two-year, $9.1MM deal, Fant came back to Seattle as a swingman but presumably viewed Lucas’ situation as a selling point. Fant also worked as a three-year Jets starter and filled in for a depleted Texans O-line last season. Tytus Howard‘s return from injury resulted in a shift to guard, with the Texans keeping Fant at RT. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks follow suit.

With Fant likely closer to a return than Lucas, he would have the first crack at the job. The 32-year-old blocker will be set to step back in for Stone Forsythe, whom Pro Football Focus has graded as the NFL’s third-worst tackle regular this season. Forsythe has started the past five games at right tackle for the 4-3 Seahawks.

OL Jason Peters Visits Seahawks; RT Abe Lucas Not Expected Back Until Midseason

September 25th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jason Peters became the rare NFL player to log a 20th season, with the Seahawks being the vehicle for the accomplished offensive lineman to reach that milestone. With Seattle dealing with similar injury trouble a year later, the team is looking into the likely Hall of Famer once again.

The Seahawks hosted Peters for a recent visit, but he left without signing, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates. Although KPRC2′s Aaron Wilson adds that no deal is imminent between the Seahawks and Peters, it is certainly notable that both the player is still chugging along at 42 and that a team that changed coaching staffs still has him on the radar.

Seattle has been dealing with multiple injuries at right tackle to start the season, with Abe Lucas starting the year on the PUP list and George Fant landing on IR after a Week 1 knee injury. Peters appeared in eight games for the Seahawks last season, making two starts at right tackle. Peters often replaced Lucas, who played through a nagging knee issue that required corrective surgery during the offseason. Originally a 2004 UDFA who has defied odds to play 248 career games, Peters logged 217 offensive snaps last season.

Fant was the team’s original solution at right tackle. Seattle signed him to a two-year, $9.1MM contract in March as a premium swing tackle who could start on the right side until Lucas’ return. But with Fant’s second Seattle stint producing an early IR trip and Lucas not expected back before midseason, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, the Seahawks are considering a reunion with Peters to help them sustain their 3-0 start.

Fourth-year tackle Stone Forsythe took over the right tackle job after Fant went down in Week 1 and has started both games since, leaving the Seahawks precariously thin at left tackle. Forsythe started two games there last season in place of an injured Charles Cross, but no other player on Seattle’s roster has NFL experience at the position. Peters would come in as a more reliable, proven player than McClendon Curtis or Michael Jerrell, with the ability to quickly step in at either tackle spot if more injuries occur.

The Seahawks are one of five undefeated teams in the NFL through three weeks, leading the NFC West behind a strong start from Geno Smith and a revitalized defense under new head coach Mike Macdonald. Smith’s 787 passing yards are third in the league, while the defense is ranked in the top three in points, yards, and yards per play allowed. Injuries have been an issue, with 18 players appearing on the team’s Week 3 injury report, which is why Seattle will want to remain proactive in adding depth like Peters.

Lucas’ name is not part of that injured contingent, since he is off the active roster, but the news of the former third-round pick being sidelined until midseason is certainly notable. Lucas joined Cross in becoming an instant starter in 2022, playing 16 games that year. Knee trouble — an issue Pete Carroll dubbed “chronic” — has since caused him to miss 14, and a midseason return goal threatens to run that count toward 20. With Macdonald’s staff now running the show, Lucas is running out of time to show he can be a reliable option for the Seahawks on the right side.

Seahawks Waive WR Dee Eskridge, Leave T Abraham Lucas On PUP; Squad Now At 53

August 27th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the now-Mike Macdonald-led Seahawks reduced their roster to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Injury trouble lingers for Lucas, who missed a chunk of last season because of an injury Pete Carroll labeled “chronic.” While the Seahawks’ new staff pushed back on that, the team’s right tackle starter is once again out of commission. Lucas, who started alongside Charles Cross as rookies in 2022, has started all 22 games he has played. But that only included six contests last year. Lucas must miss at least four games due to Tuesday’s designation. Lucas, who underwent knee surgery this offseason, also dealt with a shoulder issue heading into his second season.

The Seahawks brought back George Fant, who filled in as a Texans spot starter at RT last season. Fant’s presence becomes more important in light of this latest Lucas injury news. The player Fant was primarily competing with, Curtis, received cut notice today as well.

Macdonald and OC Ryan Grubb are not keeping Eskridge around, representing a miss for GM John Schneider. The Seahawks made Eskridge their top pick in the 2021 draft, which began in the second round due to the Jamal Adams trade. The Western Michigan alum has been unable to catch on. He has 17 career catches for 122 yards, with injuries intervening along the way. The Seahawks further addressed the issue by taking Jaxon Smith-Njigba in last year’s first round, but they have needed to devote considerable resources to stocking their WR positions.

Burns figures to be a candidate to come back soon, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson, who notes the former first-rounder enjoyed a good training camp and worked as the team’s starting slot corner at points. The Seahawks also cut one of the players they just acquired in a trade. Barrett, obtained from the Panthers, could be kept on the practice squad if he clears waivers Wednesday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/18/24

July 18th, 2024 at 8:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

As a reminder, players who land on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list can be activated at any time during training camp or the preseason. If players remain on either of those two lists following initial 53-man rosters, they’ll be forced to sit out the first four games of the 2024 season.

While the majority of the Dolphins’ injuries were expected, Isaiah Wynn‘s placement on PUP is a bit of a surprise. The offensive lineman continues to recover from a quadriceps injury that ended his 2023 campaign in October, but his rehab is apparently taking longer than expected. After mostly playing offensive tackle to begin his career, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the former first-round pick is expected to be the “front-runner” at left guard once he’s healthy enough to see the field. Jackson also passed along that Salvon Ahmed‘s issue isn’t related to his season-ending foot injury from last season and is a result of a “minor medical issue.” The RB is firmly on the roster bubble heading into training camp.

Latest On Seahawks RT Abraham Lucas

May 25th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks found starters at both tackle spots during the 2022 draft. No. 9 pick Charles Cross is in place as the team’s blindside blocker of the present and future, while third-rounder Abraham Lucas has impressed when on the field at right tackle.

[RELATED: Seahawks To Conduct C, RG Competitions]

The latter was limited to only six games last season, however, after he suffered a knee injury in Week 1. That ailment required surgery, and then-head coach Pete Carroll referred to the issue as a “chronic” one. That has led to concerns about Lucas’ long-term health status, but ESPN’s Brady Henderson reports the injury is not viewed by the Seahawks as being as much of an issue as initially feared.

Despite that encouraging update, Henderson adds Lucas’ recovery has taken longer than hoped at this point. The 25-year-old started 16 games as a rookie, drawing impressive PFF grades in both pass protection and run blocking. His evaluation was worse last season, one in which he received an overall grade of just 51.3. As a whole, the Seahawks struggled up front in 2023, something which played a role in quarterback Geno Smith‘s regression relative to the year prior. A healthy Lucas would no doubt help the unit considerably this year.

“It’s hard to tell,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said when speaking about Lucas’ recovery process (via Henderson). “It’s hard to tell. We’re shooting for camp right now. Abe’s getting after it in rehab, so I’m proud of his effort that he’s putting in.”

The Washington State alum’s status will be worth watching through the summer with a training camp return being targeted. In the meantime, practices will have George Fant in place as a first-teamer at the right tackle spot. The veteran was brought back this offseason to serve as Seattle’s swing tackle, and he has 73 starts to his name. Fant last played for the Seahawks in 2019, and the team intends for him to not be counted on as a frequent contributor at either tackle position in 2024. Whether or not that winds up being the case will depend on Lucas’ recovery, a process which is ongoing and does not have much clarity at this point.

Latest On Seahawks’ Offensive Line

May 19th, 2024 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Though the Seahawks’ path forward at offensive tackle seems secure, the team has lots of questions to face concerning the interior line. The situation should lead to a few position battles worth watching this summer.

At offensive tackle, the situation is simple: 2022 first- and third-round picks Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are set to continue manning the starting spots they’ve held since their rookie season. The only questions mark here comes with Lucas’ health, after the 25-year-old missed all but six games last year as he struggled to come back from offseason surgery on his shoulder. Even if either player misses some time, Seattle brought back a former tackle of theirs in George Fant after four years away from the team. Most recently, Fant started 13 games for the Texans last year and should provide an improvement to the backup options utilized last season in Seattle.

At guard, the team inked veteran free agent Laken Tomlinson, who should slide into the starting job at left guard. At right guard, the Seahawks return Anthony Bradford, who started 10 games as a fourth-round rookie last year. The team also utilized a third-round selection this year to draft UConn’s Christian Haynes, who played exclusively at right guard throughout college. Bradford wasn’t a world-beater last year, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking him as the league’s 62nd-best guard out of 79 graded players, so Haynes will likely be given every opportunity to compete for the starting job opposite Tomlinson. Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times points out depth guard McClendon Curtis as another under the radar option. Though listed on the roster last year as a tackle, he’s now listed at guard, where he started 30 games in college.

The real questions come at center, where the Seahawks have stacked up a number of inexperienced options. Currently, the depth chart holds Nick Harris, Olusegun Oluwatimi, and Mike Novitsky. Harris, a 2020 fifth-round pick for the Browns, only started four games over the course of his rookie deal, though he earned plenty of snaps on special teams or on overloaded lines in Cleveland. Oluwatimi started one game as a rookie fifth-round pick for Seattle last year, though he also got plenty of special teams experience. He also played over half the team’s offensive snaps in two other games last season. Novitsky is a long shot to make an impact in this conversation. An undrafted rookie out of Kansas, Novitsky doesn’t trail the others much in experience but lacks the drafted pedigree.

Three spots are generally set: Cross at left tackle, Tomlinson beside him as left guard, and Lucas opposite the two at right tackle. You could even say four spots are set, if you decide to count Fant’s job as a swing tackle. At right guard, Seattle knows Bradford can handle the job, if necessary, but they will hope that competition with Haynes will either push Bradford to improve or reveal a better option in Haynes or even, possibly, Curtis. Center is where things remain dire. The team may strike gold in the three unlikely options they hold, but external additions may be on the horizon if no one takes hold of the starting job convincingly.

Seahawks Activate T Abraham Lucas

November 30th, 2023 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having lost three of their past four games, the Seahawks are in the middle of their toughest schedule sector. After a one-sided loss to the 49ers, the Seahawks face the Cowboys tonight and then match up against the Eagles before their San Francisco trip. With wild-card hopes hinging on this stretch, Seattle will have a key player back for Week 13.

The team activated right tackle Abraham Lucas from IR on Thursday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The 2022 third-round pick has been out since going down with a knee injury in Week 1. Two games have passed since Seattle opened his practice window, but a third will not. Lucas will be in position opposite Charles Cross against Dallas.

[RELATED: Week 13 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

One of the only two-rookie tackle setups in NFL history, the Cross-Lucas tandem played a key role in Geno Smith‘s Comeback Player of the Year campaign and the Seahawks’ surprising playoff appearance. With the team having dropped to 6-5 and Smith’s production dipping from his stunning 2022 run, the Seahawks will need all the help they can get as they face the NFC’s best teams.

Lucas’ return gives the Seahawks some options, and ESPN.com’s Ed Werder notes the team is considering moving Jason Peters to guard. A career-long tackle until last season, Peters helped the Cowboys at guard at points in 2022. The 20th-year veteran has mixed in regularly at right tackle in recent weeks. Seahawks right guard Phil Haynes is set to miss tonight’s game with a toe injury. Haynes did not practice this week, while Lucas logged back-to-back full efforts as he moved into position to build on his rookie-year success.

Chosen 72nd overall out of Washington State, Lucas moved into Seattle’s starting lineup to begin his rookie season. He and Cross, last year’s ninth overall pick, started 16 games together; this partnership covered 94% of the 2022 Seahawks iteration’s offensive plays. Pro Football Focus graded Lucas just inside the top 40 at tackle last season. With Lucas out of the mix since going down in Week 1, the Seahawks have used Peters and young backup Stone Forsythe on the right edge.

As a whole, PFF ranks the Seahawks’ O-line 29th. Lucas’ return would not stand to solve every issue Seattle’s front has encountered, but the prospect of he and Peters on the right side provides some intrigue ahead of a game in which a team that recently made a buyer’s trade — sending the Giants second- and fifth-round picks for Leonard Williams — is a two-score underdog.

Seattle also moved Haynes to IR. Haynes had been a Seahawks backup for four seasons, but after the team released two-year starter Gabe Jackson this offseason, an in-house promotion occurred. The former fourth-round pick’s eight starts already surpass his pre-2023 total (five). This transaction will sideline Haynes until at least Week 17, however. PFF ranks the new starter outside the top 60 at guard, but this injury could force a creative replacement attempt — if Peters ends up being kicked inside.

Seahawks Open T Abraham Lucas’ Practice Window

November 15th, 2023 at 1:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks lost both their starting tackles in Week 1. While Charles Cross returned not long after, the team has been without its starting right tackle since the opener. After missing half the season, Abraham Lucas is on his way back.

Lucas received a return designation Wednesday, per The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar, coming back to practice for first time in more than two months. A knee injury sidelined Lucas against the Rams. It is now a possibility the second-year blocker makes his return for the Week 11 Seahawks-Rams rematch.

[RELATED: Week 11 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Voyaging to the playoffs despite starting two rookie tackles, the Seahawks were naturally expecting the Cross-Lucas tandem to improve in its second season. Lucas’ injury put those plans on hold. The Seahawks have turned to Stone Forsythe as their RT replacement. Jason Peters, who is in his age-41 season, has been rotating in as well. The team signed Peters in the wake of the Cross and Lucas maladies, and the 20th-year lineman has played over the past three weeks. Peters played 55 offensive snaps to Forsythe’s 25 against the Commanders.

Seattle chose Cross ninth overall and bookended him with Lucas, who went 72nd. The Washington State alum started 16 games. Together, Lucas and Cross played more than 94% of Seattle’s offensive snaps, becoming a crucial reason for Geno Smith‘s Comeback Player of the Year campaign and the 2022 Seahawks edition’s surprising playoff appearance.

As the Seahawks became the rare team to turn to two rookie tackles, Pro Football Focus graded Lucas just inside the top 40 among tackles last season. The team made changes at center and right guard this season, with Austin Blythe retiring and the team cutting Gabe Jackson. PFF has not viewed the replacements — free agency addition Evan Brown and former backup Phil Haynes — as especially effective thus far, ranking Haynes 55th among guards and Brown 26th at center. These showings have prompted the advanced metrics site to rank Seattle’s O-line 25th after Week 10. Lucas’ return would certainly stand to help matters, but the team has some issues to iron out at the midpoint.

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