Seattle, WA
Seattle Seahawks ‘optimistic’ about rookie Zabel’s injury
Head coach Mike Macdonald is optimistic that Seattle Seahawks rookie left guard Grey Zabel avoided a season-ending injury during Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.
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Zabel, Seattle’s first-round pick in the 2025 draft, exited Sunday’s loss in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with a knee injury and did not return. The North Dakota State product was injured on a Kenneth Walker III touchdown run with 2:23 left in the game when left tackle Charles Cross was pushed into Zabel’s left knee.
Zabel was tended to on the ground by trainers before they helped him limp off the field. Second-year pro Christian Haynes played left guard in place of Zabel on the Seahawks’ final drive.
Seattle’s head coach addressed Zabel’s status during The Mike Macdonald Show on Seattle Sports with Brock and Salk on Monday.
“I’ll say it’s optimistic right now,” Macdonald said. “So initial news is really positive, but let’s get out of the fog here before I start making any declarations.”
Macdonald said his optimism was based off of initial testing done on Zabel. The rookie offensive lineman was scheduled for imaging on his knee Monday morning.
The Seahawks picked the 23-year-old Zabel at No. 18 overall in April out of North Dakota State. The 6-foot-6, 316-pound lineman had played nearly every snap at left guard this season before the injury.
Zabel ranks 68th out of 79 guards with a 49.3 grade, according to Pro Football Focus. That grade does not include Sunday’s performance. He had allowed zero sacks on 267 pass-blocking snaps entering the matchup with Los Angeles.
The Seahawks are already playing without starting center Jalen Sundell, who was a college teammate of Zabel. Sundell was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a knee injury.
Listen to The Mike Macdonald Show at 9:30 a.m. on the day after every Seahawks game. Hear Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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