The seemingly inexhaustible supply of cornerback depth over the last few seasons for the Seattle Seahawks will be significantly tested with Byron Maxwell going down with a calf injury against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Maxwell was injured in the second quarter of Sunday’s 30-23 loss to the Cowboys after forcing an incomplete pass to Dez Bryant.
The Seahawks initially thought it could be a high-ankle sprain. Instead, head coach Pete Carroll said it was a calf strain that shouldn’t be as problematic as an ankle injury would have been.
“That’s encouraging,” Carroll said. “It took us a while to figure that out so that shouldn’t be nearly as long as one of the kinds of sprains it could have been.”
But in the interim, Seattle’s cornerback depth will be severely tested. With Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond gone in free agency, and Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon also ailing with injuries, the Seahawks had to turn to Marcus Burley and Steven Terrell to fill-in on Sunday against Dallas.
Burley has been serviceable as a slot cornerback but Terrell was just signed off the practice squad on Saturday. The injury to Maxwell led Seattle to have Richard Sherman shadow Bryant for the remainder of the game instead of sticking to his traditional left cornerback spot.
Simon, a fifth-round pick in 2013, may be ready to play next week in Maxwell’s play after having knee surgery Week 1. However, Simon has yet to play in a regular season game after missing all of last year with toe injuries. Lane is currently on the injured reserve-designated to return list and will be back Week 10.
But until Maxwell returns to health, Lane is eligible to return and Simon is up to full speed, the Seahawks will be very thin at cornerback in the meantime. A free agent signing this week could be a significant possibility as well.
