Rashaad Penny may be going on injured reserve (again), Seahawks’ starting guard out Monday

It’s become as constant during Seahawks seasons as rain.

Rashaad Penny injured and out. Again.

Seattle’s first-round draft choice’s latest injury is a strained hamstring. He’s out for the team’s game Monday night at Washington. Coach Pete Carroll said Saturday Penny may go on injured reserve for the second time this season.

“There’s a chance that could happen, yeah,” Carroll said before the Seahawks (3-7) left for their latest must-win game to salvage their floundering season.

On Saturday’s final injury report for Washington, the Seahawks listed Penny as out for the game.

Penny missed weeks two through six of this season after he strained his calf in Seattle’s opening game at Indianapolis Sept. 12.

With lead back Chris Carson on injured reserve facing season-ending neck surgery and Alex Collins ailing with groin and abdominal issues he’s had for more than a month, Penny got his first start of his career last weekend against Arizona. He burst through the middle decisively for an 18-yard run on the game’s first play. That showed some of why the Seahawks drafted him in the first round 3 1/2 years ago.

It was fleeting.

Penny asked out of the game after that first snap. He went straight to the blue observation tent with a strained hamstring. The banged-up Collins replaced him for most of the rest of the game. Penny tried to come back at the start of the second half. He lasted only seven more snaps, and no touches.

Penny was out from Dec. 2019 to Dec. 2020 following reconstructive knee surgery following an injury running with a swing pass against the Los Angeles Rams late two seasons ago. His rookie season in 2018 started with a hand injury in training camp.

Penny has played in just 31 of a possible 58 regular-season games in his NFL career with Seattle.

The Seahawks finished with 68 total yards rushing after Penny’s first-play dash, the third consecutive game under 90 yards on the ground for the NFL’s 23rd-best rushing offense. Seattle lost to the Cardinals 23-13.

DeeJay Dallas had the Seahawks’ most decisive runs after Penny left the Arizona game. He sprinted for 15-yard off right tackle on third and 1 in the red zone in the fourth quarter, then burst through the line from 2 yards out for his third-career touchdown run on the next play. That got Seattle briefly within 16-13 of the Cardinals with 7 minutes left in the game.

The second-year running back has only 14 carries this season, not more than four in any game, for 60 total yards.

With Penny and Carson out and Collins starting yet still hurting, Dallas appears to have earned more than four carries — and a larger role in a shorter passing game with Russell Wilson — Monday night at Washington.

“He’s been really, really active. He’s been tough. He’s the guy who’s had the most consistency and the work in the preparation, really, over the long haul of it, and he’s really primed and ready to go,” Carroll said. “His attitude about running is really good. He’s a really good ball catcher, and he protects well. So he can do everything. And we’re real comfortable playing him. Russ has worked a lot with him, route-wise and throwing the ball to him and all of that. So all of that really fits.”

Lewis out, Fuller in?

The Seahawks ruled starting left guard Damien Lewis out for Monday night. He dislocated his elbow against the Cardinals.

Kyle Fuller is an option to start at left guard at Washington. He was Seattle’s starting center for the first seven games of this season, back to the position he played in college at Baylor through 2016. Ethan Pocic took Fuller’s job upon Pocic’s return from injured reserve.

Fuller was a backup guard for Seattle in 2019 and most of last season. Coaches moved him to center full time to compete with Pocic for that job last spring.

“Yeah, he is one of the options there,” Carroll said of Fuller for Lewis at left guard at Washington. “Kyle’s played the most. We like the fact he’s been on the field a lot (this season).”

The Seahawks promoted Phil Haynes off of their practice squad for depth at guard.

Tre Brown, Jones to IR

Rookie starting cornerback Tre Brown, whom the team already declared out for the season while facing knee surgery, went on injured reserve.

Seattle activated cornerback Nigel Warrior off of injured reserve. He’s yet to play a game since joining the team off waivers just before the season opener.

Backup offensive tackle Jamarco Jones went on IR with Brown. Jones has “had a back issue for some time” and “it flared up again,” Carroll said.

Carroll strongly hinted the Seahawks will be promoting running back Josh Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster for the Washington game. Johnson is an undrafted rookie from Louisiana-Monroe. Coaches like how physically he runs.

Third-down running back Travis Homer is out for Monday night’s game with a new calf injury unrelated to one he had earlier this season, Carroll said.