Seattle Seahawks rule 4 out, including 3 key defenders

The Seattle Seahawks’ defense will once again be down several key players on Sunday.

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Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, safety Julian Love and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence have been ruled out for the Week 5 game at Seattle’s Lumen Field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Offensive tackle Josh Jones has also been ruled out for the 1:05 p.m. game.

The good news for Seattle is that rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, a second-round NFL Draft pick, is ready to play Sunday for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 1.

Witherspoon did not participate in practice at all this week due to a knee injury that Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said to reporters Friday was reaggravated in last week’s Thursday Night Football win over the Arizona Cardinals. A Pro Bowler in each of his first two NFL seasons, Witherspoon has played just two games thus far in 2025.

Love, a 2023 Pro Bowler, will miss his second game of the season on Sunday. He is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Lawrence, a four-time Pro Bowler who is in his first season with Seattle after 11 with the Dallas Cowboys, suffered a thigh injury in the game against Arizona. Macdonald said earlier in the week that Lawrence is not a candidate to go on injured reserve, which would require him missing at least the following four weeks.

Jones has an ankle injury.

The Buccaneers’ injury situation is arguably worse than Seattle’s. They have ruled five players out for Sunday: wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring), running back Bucky Irving (foot and shoulder), safety Christian Izien (quadriceps), and cornerbacks Jamel Deal (hip) and Benjamin Morrison (hamstring).

Sunday’s game will be a battle of two 3-1 teams. Tampa Bay leads the NFC South while Seattle is a half-game back of the NFC West lead after the San Francisco 49ers moved to 4-1 with a win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.

Radio coverage from Seattle Sports of the Seahawks-Buccaneers game will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks rule 4 out, including 3 key defenders

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