The Seattle Seahawks might be getting major help back at linebacker just in time for a Week 13 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Mike Macdonald said Monday in a press conference the team is “hopeful” Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight can return this week, and added Knight is on track to practice on Wednesday.
Seattle sits at 8-3 after Sunday’s 30-24 win over the Tennessee Titans and now turns quickly toward a home date with the 4-7 Vikings at Lumen Field on November 30.
Seahawks ‘Hopeful’ on Ernest Jones & Tyrice Knight Before Vikings
Asked about the outlook for his starting linebackers, Macdonald didn’t guarantee anything, but his tone was clearly more optimistic than it has been in recent weeks.
“Yeah, hopeful for both,” Macdonald said. He added that Tyrice Knight “is on track to practice on Wednesday,” while Ernest Jones IV will follow his normal managed workload with the team monitoring how his knee responds during the week.
Jones initially hurt that knee in Seattle’s Week 9 win over the Washington Commanders, an injury Macdonald previously said was not season ending. He missed the following game, returned in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams, then was inactive again for Sunday’s victory in Tennessee.
Knight, meanwhile, has been working back from a concussion suffered in Week 11 and was ruled out for the Titans game.
Their absences have left Seattle painfully thin at linebacker. With both starters sidelined and Chazz Surratt going down early in Nashville, the Seahawks leaned heavily on practice-squad call-up Patrick O’Connell and Drake Thomas to get through the game.
Now, with the Vikings on deck and the calendar about to flip to December, the Seahawks are cautiously eyeing the possibility of having their preferred duo back in the middle of Macdonald’s defense.
What a Jones-Knight Return Would Mean for Seahawks Defense
Jones has been the centerpiece of Seattle’s defense since arriving, wearing the green dot and leading the team in tackles this season. Knight isn’t far behind. He’s among the Seahawks’ top three tacklers and has been one of their most active defenders near the line of scrimmage.
Getting even one of them back would stabilize the second level of the defense. Getting both would be a huge boost for a unit that just survived a game with essentially no veteran depth at linebacker.
It also comes in a week where the opposing quarterback situation is unsettled. Vikings starter J.J. McCarthy entered the concussion protocol after Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, putting his status for Week 13 in doubt and potentially forcing Minnesota to turn to an inexperienced backup in Seattle.
Against a Vikings offense that has struggled to protect the quarterback and run the ball consistently, a healthy Jones directing traffic and Knight flying sideline to sideline could tilt things even further in Seattle’s favor, especially at home, where the Seahawks will again lean on a loud Lumen Field crowd.
Still, Macdonald’s comments make clear this week will be about how Jones’ knee responds and how Knight progresses after his concussion. Hopeful is good news for Seattle, but not the same as cleared.
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