The Seattle Seahawks are fresh off a dominant 44-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, and it looks like they could be a real problem in the NFC West this season. However, they didn’t escape this victory unscathed, as the team lost rookie fullback Robbie Ouzts to an ankle injury along the way.
While the fullback position isn’t as popular in the NFL as it once was, Ouzts had suited up in each of the Seahawks’ first three games, meaning his loss is going to be a tough pill for the team to swallow. On Wednesday, head coach Mike Macdonald provided an update on Ouzts’ injury status and how the team plans to move forward without him.
Seahawks Place Fullback Robbie Ouzts on Injured Reserve
Seattle selected Ouzts in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to come in and help give the team a few more packages to work out of on offense. Whether he’s acting as a lead blocker in the run game for Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, or working as another blocker for Sam Darnold in pass protection, Ouzts has added an element of grit to this team in the early going.
As quickly as he arrived and made an impact, though, he has found himself off the field thanks to an ankle injury. After leaving the team’s win over the Saints early with this injury, the Seahawks decided to place Ouzts on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the next four games as he works his way back to full health.
For the time being, Seattle doesn’t have a true fullback to turn to, but there are internal options the team can turn to. With that being said, Macdonald recently made it clear that tight end Brady Russell will likely replace Ouzts for the time being, as he has experience being used in a similar blocking-type role for the Seahawks.
“Obviously, it was significant enough to warrant putting him on IR,” Macdonald said when speaking to reporters. “He’ll be back, unless something changes, which we don’t anticipate. We hope to get him back sooner than later. We gotta go through the IR window there, but Brady is ready to go if and when called upon. (I’m) excited to see him go play.”
Seahawks Turn Attention to Thursday Night Football Matchup with Cardinals
GettySam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before a game against the Green Bay Packers.
Losing Ouzts isn’t the end of the world, but it does limit some of the unique packages and formations the offense can operate out of moving forward. With a new quarterback in Darnold under center, not having the full playbook at his disposal could be an issue, although that could change if Russell can come in and pick up where Ouzts left off.
The Seahawks will have to adapt quickly because they have a short week on their hands in Week 4. Seattle will take on the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football in a divisional matchup that is already very important, considering how every team in the NFC West is either 2-1 or 3-0. With kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, the Seahawks will be looking to earn their third straight win by taking down the Cardinals in enemy territory.
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