Seattle, WA – Despite a thrilling 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game on Sunday night, the Seattle Seahawks enter the two-week buildup to Super Bowl 60 with several injury concerns that could impact their preparations and performance against the New England Patriots on February 8 in Santa Clara.
Head coach Mike Macdonald addressed the media during his Monday afternoon press conference, providing updates on key players while outlining the team’s schedule. The Seahawks will take Tuesday and Wednesday off to rest, return to practice on Thursday, and travel to the Bay Area on Sunday—giving them a full week in California to prepare for the big game.
While Macdonald emphasized that the team is generally in good shape coming out of the conference title win, uncertainty surrounds a handful of players who either exited the game early or are still recovering from prior issues. Here’s the latest on the most notable injury situations:
Drake Thomas (LB) – Shoulder Starting linebacker Drake Thomas left the NFC Championship in the second half with a shoulder injury. Macdonald said Thomas is “doing good” in the aftermath, but his practice availability this week remains unclear. “He’s doing good,” Macdonald said. “I don’t know what his practice availability is going to look like this week.”
Robbie Ouzts (FB) – Neck Rookie fullback Robbie Ouzts, who was inactive for the NFC title game after being listed as questionable on Friday, is still dealing with a neck injury. The team remains hopeful he can return for the Super Bowl, but Macdonald stressed that the injury needs to “calm down” before a clearer picture emerges. “It’s gotta calm down, so we can have a better feel for how it’s gonna look,” Macdonald said. “But I’m not sure what his practice status is gonna be this week. I’m not sure.”
Brady Russell (FB/ST) – Hand Fullback and key special teams contributor Brady Russell exited Sunday’s game in the second half with a hand injury. Macdonald indicated the team is still evaluating the timeline and next steps. “He’s got a hand right now, so we’ll just kind of work through it on what the timing is and what we need to do,” Macdonald said.
Charles Cross (LT) – Foot (recovery) Left tackle Charles Cross, who started and played all 67 snaps in the NFC Championship, appears to be in solid shape. He had previously missed time with a foot injury sustained in the divisional round on Jan. 17 and was limited early last week before returning to full participation on Friday. “To my knowledge, he’s good,” Macdonald said. “He’s just a little sore.”
Sam Darnold (QB) – Oblique Quarterback Sam Darnold has been playing through an oblique injury suffered during a Jan. 15 practice. He was limited in practice last week, and Macdonald said the team has not yet determined how many reps Darnold will take over the next two weeks as they balance recovery and preparation. “I don’t know what the trajectory is with how many reps he’s gonna need or how much he’s gonna want to take,” Macdonald said. “I don’t know that yet.”
The two-week gap between the conference championships and Super Bowl 60 provides valuable recovery time for the Seahawks, but the status of these players—particularly Thomas, Ouzts, and Russell—will be closely monitored as Seattle ramps up preparations. Macdonald and the medical staff will continue to assess progress in the coming days, with Thursday’s practice serving as an important checkpoint.
The Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8. Kickoff is scheduled for primetime, and Seattle will look to capitalize on their home-like preparation week in California while managing these lingering injury questions.