By Bob Condotta
The Seattle Times
RENTON — The Seahawks’ revolving door at tight end appears to be likely getting to move again as Luke Willson may miss some time with a hamstring injury suffered Monday night against San Francisco.
Coach Pete Carroll used the word “legit” to describe the injury, which in Carroll-speak means it’s something significant.
“It’s not just a little cramp or something,” Carroll said of the injury, which held Willson out after halftime — he played 14 snaps before being hurt. “It showed up in the MRI testing of it. But it might be a couple weeks for him, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The good news is that the Seahawks are now off until a game Nov. 24 at Philadelphia, so maybe Willson can return without missing much action.
The further good news is that Seattle has a ready replacement in veteran Ed Dickson, who spent the first half of the season on injured reserve after having minor knee surgery in August.
Dickson returned to practice two weeks ago, and the Seahawks have to make a move before the Eagles game to put him on the active roster or leave him on IR.
That seems an obvious choice now with Willson injured.
“He’s ready to go,” Carroll said of Dickson. “Fortunately, if Luke is unable to play then we would like to think we can go right to Ed and get him going.”
Seattle began the season with a duo of Will Dissly and Nick Vannett at tight end after the loss of Dickson to IR.
But Vannett was traded to the Steelers for a fifth-round pick and Dissly then suffered an Achilles tendon injury and Seattle re-signed Willson and then promoted Jacob Hollister off the practice and those two have handled the duties the past five games.
Now it figures to be Dickson — who played in 10 games last season and has 86 starts in a career that dates to 2010 — and Hollister for at least a little while (Seattle also has Tyrone Swoopes on the practice squad).
Hollister, acquired in April from the Patriots for a seventh-round pick in 2020, has been one of the team’s surprise players making a spectacular TD grab to key the win over the 49ers after making two TD receptions the week before against Tampa Bay, including the game-winner in overtime.
In five games Hollister now has 17 receptions for 137 yards and three touchdowns after making a team-high eight grabs for 62 yards against the 49ers when he played 58 snaps as the team’s only tight end once Willson was sidelined.
“I think Jacob is going to be a tremendous asset for us going down there,” Carroll said Tuesday. “I don’t think this is any fluke or anything. He’s just a good football player. He’s learned well. It’s like you see the ability of Russell (Russell) and Tyler (Lockett) to fit so well together. It’s because they’re guys that just understand ball.”
