Seahawks rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the fifth overall pick in the draft, officially is questionable for Sunday’s Week 1 home opener against the Rams. It sounds as if the Seahawks are leaning toward not taking chances with his hamstring injury.
“He did a nice job getting through [practice],” coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Friday. “He worked, he competed, got a lot of turns but measured the whole time. He can possibly play, so we got him as questionable and we’ll see what happens with that. We got to do long-term thinking making sure we’re taking care of our guys the best we possibly can and so we’ll see what we do with that.”
Reading between the lines, it sounds as if Witherspoon is more doubtful than questionable. But teams rarely use the doubtful label. “Doubtful” technically means the player has anywhere between a one-percent and 49-percent likelihood of playing. “Questionable” covers the gulf from 50-50 to 99 percent.
Regardless, hamstring strains need rest. They typically need extra rest because the aggravation of the injury can happen when the player tries to hit the kind of high gear that often doesn’t happen in a practice setting.
It’s better to give him a little time. They should be able to handle the Rams without him. And the Lions — who will have three extra days to rest and prepare — are waiting for them in Week 2.
