Leonard Williams #99 of the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks fans are celebrating the team’s 3-0 start after a dominant win over the Miami Dolphins, but there’s a shadow hanging over the victory with injuries to star defender Leonard Williams and first-round pick Byron Murphy. While the Seahawks delivered a blowout performance, the potential loss of two key players could alter the team’s momentum heading into Week 4.
Seattle’s injury list was already growing before the Dolphins game, as star running back Ken Walker was sidelined with an abdominal issue. Now, Williams and Murphy join the list of concerns for head coach Mike Macdonald, who has yet to lose a game in his tenure with the Seahawks.
Macdonald provided updates on both injuries during his September 22, 2024 press conference, highlighting Williams’ situation as particularly unclear.
“There’s like a midsection thing,” Macdonald said of Williams. “I don’t know if it’s ribs or whatever, but I think we got a picture of it. I don’t know what the results of that are, so we’ll see here in the next couple days.”
The uncertainty surrounding Williams is troubling for the Seahawks defense. The veteran pass rusher has quickly become one of Seattle’s top contributors, especially after the team acquired him in a 2023 midseason trade from the New York Giants. This offseason, Williams inked a hefty three-year, $64.5 million deal to remain in Seattle, cementing his status as a defensive cornerstone.
Murphy’s injury is another blow, particularly considering the rookie’s strong start. The first-round pick left the game with a hamstring injury after sustaining it during a double-team.
“Byron, he got a hamstring on a double team again,” Macdonald said. “Not sure the severity, so we’ll look at it this week.”
The Seahawks head into Week 4 as 4.5-point underdogs for their Monday Night Football matchup against the Detroit Lions. While Seattle’s undefeated record is impressive, their injury woes—especially to star players like Williams and promising rookies like Murphy—will be something to watch closely as the season progresses. Fans are hopeful the injury bug doesn’t derail what has been an electrifying start.
