Center Jalen Sundell is expected to return to practice this week for the Seattle Seahawks, giving the offensive line a major boost after a four-game absence with a knee injury. Head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed Sundell’s status in his latest press conference on December 8, but stopped short of promising that the second-year lineman will simply walk back into his old job.
Jalen Sundell’s Return Gives Seahawks a Needed Lift Up Front
Sundell went on injured reserve in mid-November after injuring his knee during Seattle’s blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals, forcing the Seahawks to turn back to Olu Oluwatimi at center. By rule, Sundell had to miss at least four games, a stretch that included matchups with the Rams, Titans, Vikings and Falcons.
The Seahawks managed to go 10-3 behind a surging offense and a dominant defense, capped by a 37-9 road win over the Atlanta Falcons where Sam Darnold threw three second-half touchdown passes.
Now Sundell is finally eligible to come off IR, and Macdonald says he “should be back at practice this week.” In the same session, when asked whether Sundell would work at guard or center, Macdonald gave a short but telling answer: “We’ll see.” That matches what he has been saying publicly for more than a week — that the staff still has to “work through what the lineup will look like” once Sundell returns.
As Heavy previously reported, Macdonald has gone out of his way to praise Oluwatimi as a “driving force” behind Seattle’s recent run-game surge, crediting his physicality and command in the middle of the line.
What Sundell’s Return Means for the Seahawks’ Offensive Line
Before the injury, Sundell had beaten out Oluwatimi for the starting center job after an offseason battle, anchoring an offensive line that was one of the NFL’s better pass-protecting units. Seattle’s depth charts still list him at center, behind Oluwatimi while he’s on IR.
But the picture is much more complicated now. With Oluwatimi playing well and the run game picking up, Macdonald has left the door open to keeping Olu in the middle and using Sundell’s athleticism and experience to bolster the guard competition. Earlier in the season, the Seahawks’ first unofficial depth chart and outside reporting both highlighted Sundell as a potential option at guard in case of injuries at left or right guard.
That flexibility matters. Seattle has already shuffled pieces around Zabel and Anthony Bradford, while Christian Haynes provides interior depth after his own return from IR. With Sundell back on the practice field, the Seahawks can experiment with combinations like:
- Oluwatimi at center, Sundell in a guard battle
- Sundell returning to center if he clearly wins the job back
- A true “best five” configuration that changes week-to-week
Macdonald has described his team’s identity with phrases like “tough and connected” and “12 as one,” and the offensive line is at the heart of that. The message to Sundell is clear: his return is a huge boost, but the group’s performance — not the preseason depth chart — will decide who lines up where on Sundays.
Stats, Schedule & Context for Seahawks Fans
- Record: 10-3 after a 37-9 win over the Falcons.
- Offense: Second in the NFL in points per game (29.3).
- Recent OL note: Darnold has been sacked just 17 times in 13 games, but Macdonald has acknowledged some recent “cracks” up front.
- Injury context: Sundell’s knee injury sent him to IR for at least four games; Arroyo are also dealing with knee issues.
- Next games: Seahawks host the Indianapolis Colts on December 14 and the Los Angeles Rams on December 18 in a critical NFC West stretch.
For Seahawks fans, Sundell’s return is both a relief and a preview of a fascinating December position battle. Seattle is getting one of its starting-caliber linemen back — but in this system, he may have to earn his way into whatever “best five” Macdonald decides gives the Seahawks the best path to stack more wins.
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