DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, 3 other starters questionable for Seahawks’ test against Giants

DK Metcalf’s status remains what it’s been all week.

Up in the air.

The Seahawks listed their star wide receiver as questionable Friday for first-place Seattle’s home game against the 6-1 New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday (channel 13, 1:25 p.m.).

Metcalf did not practice this week. He watched the workouts in flat shoes, not cleats.

He injured the patellar tendon in his left knee landing awkwardly on it as his ankle turned inward coming to the artificial turf at SoFi Stadium last Sunday. That was after he was unable to complete a catch at the sideline and goal line of a high throw from quarterback Geno Smith in the Seahawks’ 37-23 win at the Los Angeles Chargers.

Coach Pete Carroll has not said how extensive Metcalf’s knee injury is. The coach said early this week Metcalf would be getting unspecified treatments and a few days of rest before the team reassessed the injury.

Tyler Lockett is also officially questionable. He has an injured hamstring and ribs. He practiced fully on Thursday, a sign he may play Sunday. Lockett didn’t practice at all last week yet still played against the Chargers. He’s missed only two games in his eight NFL seasons with Seattle. That was after he broke his leg late in the 2016 season and tested positive for COVID-19 last December.

Carroll said Lockett felt “a little something in his oblique” muscle area on his side. Lockett first felt that Thursday, Carroll said.

“DK did some stuff today. Tyler was quiet today,” Carroll said following the team’s practice Friday.

“That’s it. Got nothing else for you. Wait until (Saturday, to see how they feel).”

The Seahawks play two more games before their only bye of the 17-game regular season. That’s next weekend at Arizona then Nov. 13 against Tampa Bay in Munich, Germany.

If Metcalf misses the test against the Giants it would more of veteran Marquise Goodwin with Lockett. And it would mean more of the three tight-end formations and plays with Noah Fant, Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has featured effectively more this season.

“Any time that a guy like DK goes out of the game, it’s not one person that is necessarily going to replace him. It’s all 11 that are on the field that are going to have to step up their game,” Waldron said. “That’s just our approach with it. You don’t necessarily scrap the entire playbook because the one guy you had those plans and those thoughts of, ‘OK, where is the ball going to go next?’ You have to be one step ahead of that in the planning.”

Dee Eskridge, the team’s top draft choice last season, figures to play more as the third wide receiver Goodwin had been until Metcalf got injured in the second quarter of last weekend’s game.

Goodwin, 31, emerged at the right time in that Chargers game. The former U.S. Olympic track jumper leaped high over Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson for his second touchdown catch from Smith of the first half as Seattle built a 17-0 lead. He had the second two-touchdown game of his 10-year career.

Goodwin had just six receptions with no touchdowns in six games before that.

“He had a great game last week. He came through in extraordinary fashion,” Carroll said. “I don’t feel like we talked about him enough.

“It’s just getting us warmed up. He has a lot more that he can do.”

Darrell Taylor questionable

Outside linebacker Darrell Taylor is coming off the best three games after a disappointing, ineffective start to this season. Now he’s questionable for Sunday. He has an injured groin that kept him out of practice Wednesday and Thursday.

So more Bruce Irvin

Taylor’s injury means more of veteran Bruce Irvin in his second game since the Seahawks signed him back for a third Seattle go-round this month.

Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt said this week they are looking forward to Irvin playing more than the 24 snaps out of 71 defensive plays Irvin got at Los Angeles last weekend.

He tackled Chargers running back Austin Eckler for a 2-yard gain on his first play since last January for the Chicago Bears.

“Bruce played really well,” Hurtt said. “It was great having him around and his energy and juice and the passion, but he played really well. You wouldn’t be able to tell that he missed training camp and the first month or so of the season.

“He played really, really well and looking forward to giving him more work in this game.”

Gabe Jackson set to return

Veteran right guard Gabe Jackson practiced this week, though he’s officially questionable to start Sunday. He’s missed the last two games with an injured knee.

His return would come at the same time Phil Haynes, his fill-in the last two games, is out with a concussion. Haynes got that in the second half of his fifth career start, last weekend at the Chargers.

Nick Bellore out

Special-teams captain Nick Bellore is out for Sunday’s game. He has a concussion. He got that while making a tackle in the open field on Seattle’s kickoff to begin the second half against the Chargers.

Bellore was down on the turf for a couple minutes while concerned teammates gathered around him immediately after he got hurt.

Bellore was at practices talking to Carroll and watching some of the workouts this week.