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RENTON, Wash. -- Right when the Seattle Seahawks were closing in on a starting five on their offensive line, a critical injury has created uncertainty once again. Left tackle George Fant was lost for the season after sustaining a torn ACL in the second quarter of Friday night's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings.
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Fant was engaged in pass protection when a collection of players tumbled into the side of his right knee. He collapsed in a heap and had his leg placed in an air cast before leaving the field on the back of a cart.
Head coach Pete Carroll named Fant and Luke Joeckel as the starters on the left side of the offensive line a day before. Now Seattle has to go back to the drawing board.
"Really brokenhearted about George Fant getting hurt," Carroll said after the game. "Just unfortunate. He's done so much, come so far and everybody's cheering for him and rooting for him all along and he's going to be in trouble with getting back this season. He's got a knee injury that's going to require surgery, unfortunately. So that kind of takes a little something out of it for everybody.
"It's an ACL deal. They don't know any more than that but it's significant."
While playing football was still a mostly new experience for the former college basketball player last year, Fant appeared poised to make significant strides forward this season.
"You never want to see that on the field and it's tough to see," Joeckel said. "Especially for a guy that's worked so fricking hard every single day, and just really improved every day and gotten so much better at his craft, to see something like that is tough."
Rees Odhiambo replaced Fant at left tackle and played the rest of the game. He will get the first chance to replace Fant at left tackle, as Seattle wants to keep Joeckel at left guard if they can.
"We drafted him highly with the thought he would be able to do this," Carroll said of Odhiambo on Monday. "I have never backed off that thought physically he can do it all. Now he's just got to make sure he can settle in and execute and function really well with the guys. ... I think he's going to have a chance to be really good.
"We drafted him to be a starting player and we drafted him with the thought he could be a left tackle so here we go. We'll see what happens."
Seattle also acquired tackle Matt Tobin and a 2018 seventh-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2018 fifth-round pick, and signed free agent tackle Tyrus Thompson to add depth and competition to the position for the final two weeks of training camp.
NOTES: WR Amara Darboh was back at practice on Monday after leaving Friday's game against Minnesota to be evaluated for a concussion. ... WR Paul Richardson was held out of Friday's game against the Vikings after landing hard on his right shoulder in Seattle's preseason opener against the Chargers. He practiced all last week and was at practice again on Monday. ... WR Tyler Lockett has yet to play this preseason as Seattle is slowly ramping him up to full speed following the broken leg sustained last December. ... TE Marcus Lucas was waived/injured to clear a roster spot for the addition of Matt Tobin via trade from Philadelphia. Lucas sustained an ankle injury in Friday's game against Minnesota. ... TE Jimmy Graham was taking part in practice on Monday after having a tight back keep him out of Friday's preseason game against Minnesota. ... T Justin Senior was waived/injured after being unable to practice for the entirety of training camp due to a knee injury. He spent all of camp on the physically unable to perform list. ... RB C.J. Prosise did not play against Minnesota due to a tight groin and did not take part in practice on Monday. He was doing individual work after practice. ... RB Thomas Rawls was back at practice on Monday after missing several practices last week and Friday's game against Minnesota because of an ankle injury. ... DE Frank Clark left the game against the Vikings with an injured thumb. He was back at practice on Monday. ... LB D.J. Alexander is expected back with the team on Tuesday. He's missed more than a week due to a knee issue.
