News broke earlier this week that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin was suffering through a knee injury. At that point, the Seahawks themselves didn’t seem too concerned about their No. 1 receiver.
That might no longer be the case. According to Field Yates and Adam Schefter of ESPN, Baldwin could miss the entire preseason slate.
Seahawks’ WR Doug Baldwin’s knee injury could force him to miss most, if not all, of the preseason, however doctors are hopeful and confident that he will be able to return for the start of the regular season, sources tell @FieldYates and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 1, 2018
This isn’t simply Seattle taking it easy with the pass catcher. The injury is so serious that the team can’t guarantee Baldwin will be ready for Week 1.
For a team that lost wide receiver Paul Richardson and tight end Jimmy Graham in free agency, this is no small thing.
Baldwin, 29, put up 75 receptions for 991 yards last season. He’s averaging north of 1,000 yards with a 72 percent catch rate over the past three years.
Outside of Baldwin, Seattle’s leading returning receiver is a player in Tyler Lockett who recorded just 45 receptions a season ago.