Seahawks injury updates: Tight end Greg Olsen could miss rest of regular season

Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen could miss the rest of the regular season, if not longer, after suffering a ruptured plantar fascia in Thursday night’s 28-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Coach Pete Carroll told reporters Friday via Zoom that such a foot injury typically has a recovery of four to six weeks, though the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said it could be more along the lines of six to eight weeks.

Either way, with six games remaining in the regular season, Olsen might be shooting to get back for the postseason.

Olsen, 35, is on a one-year contract and has signed a deal to work as a broadcaster with Fox Sports after he retires. If he does not make it back this season his career could be over.

Olsen signed a deal worth up to $7 million, including bonuses of $46,875 for each game he is on the 53-player roster and each game he is on the active game-day roster.

Olsen has 23 catches for 224 yards and one touchdown this season, the touchdown coming in the opener at Atlanta. He had two catches for 20 yards Thursday night before he went down without any contact in the fourth quarter.

Olsen has played 417 snaps this season, or just over 62%, most of any Seahawks tight end.

With Olsen now headed to injured reserve, Will Dissly and Jacob Hollister will take over more of the work and the team will use rookie Colby Parkinson. Parkinson has been on the 53-player roster the past four games but inactive for the past three on game day.

Seattle also has Tyler Mabry, a rookie undrafted free agent on the practice squad at tight end, and lists rookie seventh-round pick Stephen Sullivan as a tight end and defensive end.

Seattle released Luke Willson this month, and he has since signed with Baltimore’s practice squad.

Here are other Seahawks injury updates:

Shell, Scarbrough may miss time

Carroll had no specific timelines for two other players injured in the game — right tackle Brandon Shell and running back Bo Scarbrough. Shell suffered a sprained ankle and what Carroll called a “torqued” knee, and Carroll said it’s possible he could miss some time. 

Seattle used veteran Cedric Ogbuehi in his place Thursday but could consider Jamarco Jones. 

Scarbrough suffered a hamstring injury and could also miss some time. He was elevated off the practice squad for Thursday’s game. He will revert to the practice squad.

Carson, Griffin, Pocic to return

Carroll said running back Chris Carson, cornerback Shaquill Griffin and center Ethan Pocic will return for Seattle’s next game, Nov. 30 at Philadelphia.

Carson’s return means Seattle would have its top two running backs active entering the stretch drive. Pocic will return to the starting center spot and Griffin to a starting corner spot.

Rookie Damien Lewis moved from right guard to start at center with Pocic and Kyle Fuller out Thursday. But with Pocic back, Lewis will return to right guard, which would allow Jones to go to right tackle if needed. Jones started at right guard Thursday.

Carson has missed four games because of a sprained foot, and Griffin has missed the past four games because of a concussion and hamstring injury. Pocic had a concussion.

Here are a few other injury updates:

• Cornerback Quinton Dunbar (sore knee) was placed on IR on Thursday before the game, but Carroll said the team hopes he will make it back as soon as rules allow (he must sit out three games). Carroll said going on IR, though, at least makes each side resist the temptation to play the next few weeks. “It works out really well for him, because it forces us to give him another week to recover,” Carroll said.

• Carroll said he fully expects rookie defensive end Darrell Taylor to return to practice next week when the Seahawks come back from their “mini-bye.” A second-round draft pick out of Tennessee, Taylor has been on the non-football injury list all season while recovering from offseason surgery to place a rod in his leg to repair a stress fracture. “He’s going to practice this week, that’s from what I’ve heard,” Carroll said. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

• Running back Rashaad Penny, on the physically unable to perform list while rehabbing from a knee injury suffered last Dec. 8, is also close to returning to practice, but Carroll said Taylor is a little ahead of Penny on the time frame to make it back to practice.