Seahawks RB Walker, RT Fant questionable vs. Pats

Renton, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks listed tight end Kenneth Walker III and right tackle George Fant as questionable for Sunday's road game against the New England Patriots, presenting a challenge for their offense in Seattle's quest to improve to 2-0 under new management. Coach Mike McDonald.

The Seahawks will also be without outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (knee), arguably their top defensive player, as well as backup tight end Pharaoh Brown (foot). The team listed starting linebackers Tyrell Dodson (shoulder) and Jerome Baker (hamstring) as questionable, though Baker practiced all week in a limited capacity and Dodson progressed to full participation Friday.

Walker went down in obvious pain after a carry in the fourth quarter of the Seahawks' season-opening win over the Denver Broncos. He immediately pointed at her and did not turn back. It was initially announced as an abdominal strain, though he has since been listed with an oblique injury.

Fant, who is filling in at right tackle while Abe Lucas is on the physically unable to perform list, hurt his knee 13 plays into the game. He needed to be helped off the field and was quickly taken off.

Asked about his injury postgame, Walker told reporters, “I'm fine.” MacDonald also said postgame that the team is hopeful Walker is OK, but neither he nor Fant practiced this week.

“He's feeling good,” McDonald said of Walker on Friday. “He's getting better, but there are doubts right now and we'll go from there.”

Walker missed two games last year and the third mostly because of an oblique injury. Asked about his chances of playing Sunday, McDonald simply said, “Doubtful.” Asked if Fant or Walker's injuries could be serious, he kept things close to the vest, saying, “We'll let that play out right now.”

Walker is questionable, Zach Charbonnet is in line to start. The second-year running back caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Geno Smith early in the fourth quarter against Denver but gained just 12 yards on eight carries.

A second-round pick out of UCLA last year, Charbonnet made two starts for Walker as a rookie, totaling 157 yards and a touchdown on 38 touches in those games.

“A lot of the same skill set,” offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said of Charbonnet compared to Walker. “He's a great receiver out of the backfield, he's a very, very good pass protector and obviously a very strong runner, so I don't think there's anything in the game plan that would change if Ken was unavailable.”

Kenny McIntosh is the Seahawks' third running back. They have rookie George Holani on their practice squad.

Stone Forsyth replaced Fant in the opener and finished with a 54.5% pass block win rate (six pass block wins and five losses), the lowest of the 64 qualifying offensive tackles in Week 1. He was also flagged for a false start.

However, Seattle's offensive line improved in the second half, forcing only 23% of Smith's dropbacks on empty sacks while the quarterback was pressured on 47% of his dropbacks and was sacked twice in the first half.

“He's done a solid job,” McDonald said of Forsythe, a fourth-year veteran. “We won the football game. There were a couple of pass rushes that he left on the edge and we'd clean them up. But he came in, we won the game, so football was won for us.”