Seahawks Place George Fant on Injured Reserve List

The Seattle Seahawks have officially placed starting right tackle George Fant on injured reserve, which adds to the struggles of an already depleted offensive line. This decision comes after Fant, 32, sustained a knee injury in the first quarter of the team’s season opener.

Fant’s injury has sidelined him for not just the opener but also for the subsequent victory against the New England Patriots. According to team rules, he will be out for at least the next four games. This means he could potentially return to the lineup as soon as Week 7.

Throughout the week, Fant was listed as a limited participant in all three practices, but he was ultimately ruled out for the upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins.

In Fant’s absence, the Seahawks will turn to their third-string option at right tackle, Stone Forsythe, who stepped in as the starter. Forsythe, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, recorded a pass block win rate of 84.6% in his last game, which ranked him 32nd among 60 qualifying tackles.

Head coach Mike Macdonald expressed confidence in Forsythe’s abilities, noting, “I thought Stone played well. I think from the second half of the Denver game through New England, he’s doing a lot of nice things. … He’s ready to go.”

Despite Macdonald’s optimistic view, the Seahawks currently rank at the bottom of the league with a pass block win rate of just 38.5% over the first two weeks.

Prior to Fant’s injury, he had been starting in place of Abe Lucas, who remains on the physically unable to perform list following offseason knee surgery. Lucas is eligible to return as soon as Week 5, but Seattle is preparing for his absence to extend into the middle of the season.

To bolster their tackle depth, the Seahawks have signed McClendon Curtis from their practice squad. Additionally, the team elevated inside linebacker Patrick O’Connell and outside linebacker Tyus Bowser from the practice squad in preparation for Sunday’s matchup. Safety Marquise Blair has also been re-signed to the practice squad to fill the available spot.

Furthermore, the Seahawks have already ruled out outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu for the game against the Dolphins. Running back Ken Walker III and inside linebacker Jerome Baker are both listed as doubtful. However, Macdonald is optimistic that Walker, who is recovering from an oblique injury sustained during the opener, will be ready to play for the team’s Monday night game against the Detroit Lions in Week 4.