Bad gets worse for Seahawks: Tyler Lockett has a broken hand, likely out multiple weeks

Bad for the Seahawks just got even worse.

Tyler Lockett may be out for the rest of the season, whatever that is now for this falling team.

The Seahawks’ captain and trusted receiver broke a bone in his index finger trying to catch a pass late in Seattle’s 21-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers Thursday night.

It appears he needs surgery, though Lockett is trying to avoid that, coach Pete Carroll said.

“Tyler Lockett broke a bone in his hand. Index finger...It’s legit and all that,” Carroll said. “We got to figure out what’s the right way to go.”

Carroll said Lockett has a spiral fracture of the first metatarsal. That from his hand twisting under him as he braced his fall on an incomplete pass short to him with 3:53 left in the fourth quarter. Lockett stayed in the game for a couple plays. He then went to the locker room before the game ended.

The Cleveland Clinic describes a spiral fracture this way: “The fracture line looks like a corkscrew.”

Carroll said Lockett is hoping to miss only two weeks. But it’s possible he will miss the remainder of the season. Seattle (7-7) has three games remaining: at Kansas City Christmas Eve, home versus the New York Jets New Year’s Day and Jan. 8 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Lockett has missed only one game in his eight-year career due to injury.

“I can’t even fathom that, playing without Tyler,” Carroll said.

If the Seahawks — losers of four of their last five — don’t win one or both of the next two games Lockett is expected to miss at a minimum, the finale against the Rams won’t matter for any postseason possibilities. Seattle is eighth in a seven-team race for the NFC’s playoff spots.

“Got a chance to hang with them (after the game), just to try to express what it’s like to be working with a guy like this for so long and such an incredible player,” Carroll said. “He’s not in tremendous pain. Just got a broken hand. No need to feel sorry for him.

“But he’s such a magnificent football player and a member of a team and member of a community in our area and fans.

“We’re going to miss the heck out of him, whatever he misses.”

Lockett, 30, has missed only two games in his NFL career with Seattle. That was because of a broken leg late in the 2016 season, and testing positive for COVID-19 last December.

Carroll mentioned the possibility of Lockett having a surgery similar to what Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny had late in training camp of his rookie season of 2018. Penny had the surgery for a broken finger he got pass blocking in practice late in August and returned 2 1/2 weeks later to play in Seattle’s opening game that season Sept. 9.

Penny went to a specialist in Philadelphia to have his procedure. Lockett may try to follow the same path.

Lockett had a team-leading seven catches for 68 yards against San Francisco. For the season he has 78 receptions and 964 yards. His eight touchdown receptions from quarterback Geno Smith in 14 games lead the team this season and are tied for the second-most in his career.

Veteran Marquise Goodwin moves into the second wide receiver spot starting opposite DK Metcalf. Dee Eskridge, the team’s often-injured top draft choice last year, is eligible to come off injured reserve next week from his own broken hand he got Nov. 13 in Seattle’s loss to Tampa Bay in Munich.

Laquon Treadwell is on the practice squad and could be signed to the active roster to back-fill Lockett’s absence. The Seahawks have promoted Treadwell, a former first-round pick by Minnesota signed last month by Seattle, from the practice squad three times for games and cannot do that anymore without signing him to active roster.

That’s now likely.

“It will present us a great challenge,” Smith said of running an offense without Lockett. “Tyler Lockett is one of the better receivers in this league. He’s a leader of this team. He’s a leader of this offense. He’s a guy that we rely on, that I rely on.

“We have to have guys that are willing to step up. I look forward to seeing those guys step up in their new roles.

“But you can never replace a guy like Tyler. He’s done it for so long. He brings something to the game that not many guys can.

“I’m just pulling for him to get back as soon as possible.”

‘Significant’ injury for Bryan Mone

Defensive tackle Bryan Mone tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and is likely to have season-ending surgery soon.

Mone was taken from the field in a motorized cart during the first half after getting hurt on a 49ers running play.

“We can’t say everything, but it’s a significant knee injury,” Carroll said.

Mone was starting because veteran Al Woods was out with an Achilles injury.

Myles Adams, L.J. Collier and Quinton Jefferson got extended playing time on the defensive line with Mone and Woods out.

Jefferson could not get to Brock Purdy when the 49ers rookie quarterback out-ran him to the first-down line to gain on a key third down late in the game with San Francisco protecting its 21-13 lead.