There has been a whole lot of conjecture surrounding Seattle Seahawks rookie defensive tackle Malik McDowell, who was injured in an ATV accident before the season began. Some reports suggested the top rookie of Seattle’s 2017 draft class might never play again. However, Pete Carroll cleared the air about what exactly happened to the young man, and said he might still play in 2017.
Carroll says it hasn't been ruled out Malik McDowell could play this year. Says issue is he suffered a "really bad concussion."
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) October 6, 2017
That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at. That McDowell suffered a concussion bad enough to keep him out this long suggests he took a huge hit on the head in his accident. However, this update is terrific news for McDowell, and for the Seahawks, who had big plans for the young man.
McDowell’s injury prompted Seattle to make a trade for former New York Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson before the season began. Richardson will be a free agent after this year, so the team gaining clarity about McDowell’s status going forward is a positive, as well.
The former Michigan State Spartan was the first player the Seahawks took in the 2017 NFL Draft, selected No. 35 overall.