RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle secondary hasn’t been whole since the first drive of the season opener, and it will once again be undermanned when the Seahawks play the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Sunday.
The Seahawks have listed cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen and safety Julian Love as doubtful. They also ruled out outside linebacker Derick Hall (oblique) and backup offensive tackle Josh Jones (ankle).
Seattle will get outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence back from the quad injury that sidelined him in last Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rookie safety Nick Emmanwori was on the injury report this week, still dealing with the high ankle sprain that sidelined him for three-plus games, but he has no game designation. Both were full participants the past two days.
The Seahawks have yet to play a full game with all of their top five defensive backs, as Emmanwori went down five plays into the season opener. Assuming Love, Witherspoon and Woolen don’t play Sunday, it will mark the fourth time in six games that Seattle has been without multiple players in the secondary.
Witherspoon has played in only two games because of an MCL bruise he suffered in the opener, while Love has played in only three because of a hamstring injury. Woolen left the Tampa Bay game with a concussion, and while he practiced all week as a limited participant, he did not clear the league’s concussion protocol.
Coach Mike Macdonald said veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin will be part of Seattle’s plan Sunday, meaning he will have to be either elevated or signed off the practice squad. It’s not clear whether Griffin or Nehemiah Pritchett will start opposite Josh Jobe. Derion Kendrick has served as Seattle’s nickelback with Witherspoon out.
Griffin, a ninth-year veteran with a Pro Bowl selection on his résumé, began his career with the Seahawks and returned to Seattle on a one-year deal this summer. He has played in only one game this season.
“I love having Shaq out there because he competes,” Macdonald said. “He attacks all the mental stuff. He knows it. He’s got a great attitude, and he competes. We can go into games with that, for sure.”
The Jaguars listed starting center Robert Hainsey (hamstring) as doubtful.
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