The season is over for Seahawks linebacker/defensive end Bruce Irvin as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Monday he tore his ACL in Sunday night’s 35-30 win over the Patriots.
Irvin was injured on a play with 4:04 left in the game. Rapoport reported that the diagnosis was made after a review of an MRI.
Irvin appeared to confirm the news of the worst with a tweet Monday afternoon stating “I guess I am human after all.”
Carroll had sounded a somewhat optimistic tone after the game when he said Irvin had a sprained knee but noted “he was walking around and in the locker room afterward. So we’ll see what happens there.”
Carroll, though, seemed a little more pessimistic when he talked about Irvin during his radio show on 710 ESPN Seattle on Monday morning: “I don’t know yet. He was hurt for sure. He got banged pretty good and all that. Have to wait and see.”
Carroll said Seattle was still awaiting test results on both Irvin and defensive back Marquise Blair, who also hurt his knee in the game.
After the game, Irvin tweeted: “Im good! 12’s thank you for the support! Damn I love y’all!!”
Irvin’s loss is a significant blow for a team whose pass rush ranks as maybe its biggest question mark.
Irvin, 32, re-signed with Seattle — he also played for the Seahawks from 2012-15 — in March on a one-year deal worth up to $5.9 million and a guaranteed salary of $3 million.
Irvin is officially the Seahawks’ starting strongside linebacker but also played in the rush end/LEO spot — he played 54 snaps Sunday night before being injured.
Seattle’s pass rush is already somewhat short-handed, with second-round pick Darrell Taylor on the non-football injury list after leg surgery last January, with no clear timeline on when he’ll return.
Cody Barton is the listed backup to Irvin at the strongside spot after starting four games there a year ago, but the Seahawks could also try first-round pick Jordyn Brooks there.
also could move K.J. Wright to strongside and have Brooks step in for Wright at weakside linebacker. Wright played SLB his first two years with the Seahawks, and the team had considered using him there this year. Brooks has appeared to play solely at WLB so far with the Seahawks.
Another option for adding depth would be elevating Shaquem Griffin from the practice squad. Griffin worked as the backup SLB during training camp before being waived and then re-signed to the practice squad.
At the rush end spot, the Seahawks will undoubtedly now have to have rookie Alton Robinson active on gamedays. The fifth-round pick out of Syracuse impressed during camp but has been inactive for the first two games.
Seattle also will scout the list of available free agents.
Two loom as particularly intriguing: Mychal Kendricks and Clay Matthews.
Kendricks played for the Seahawks the last two seasons but suffered an ACL injury in the season finale against the 49ers. It was reported in August that Kendricks was healthy and was close to signing a deal with the Raiders before things fell through.
Matthews, 34, played for Carroll at USC and remains unsigned after playing last season with the Rams, when he had eight sacks. He played from 2009-2018 with Green Bay.
Matthews was reported to be negotiating with Denver two weeks ago before talks fell through.
Another available veteran: Jabal Sheard, a 31-year-old who had 4½ sacks in 13 games last season for the Colts.
Irvin, who was Seattle’s first-round pick in 2012. had four tackles and three quarterback hits in two games for Seattle this year, playing 121 snaps overall.
Irvin also played for the Raiders, Atlanta and Carolina since leaving Seattle in 2015 before returning.
After re-signing, Irvin said in May that “words can’t explain” how happy he was to be back in Seattle.
Now, unfortunately, the first year of his second stint with the Seahawks is over after just two games.
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