The Seattle Seahawks have been a bit lucky this season. As opposed to teams such as the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts, head coach Mike Macdonald's team has mostly avoided key injuries that could cripple the season's potential.
That said, the 49ers have continued to win after losing players such as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The Colts have taken the opposite track and are completely incapable of winning any game in weeks.
For Seattle's sake, one has a right to wonder just what kind of numbers rookie wide receiver Tory Horton would have managed had he stayed healthy. After coming back early from a knee injury in college, he was fantastic in training camp, and in limited reps through Week 9, he had produced five total touchdowns.
Seattle Seahawks rookie Tory Horton appears to be out for quite a bit longer
He hasn't played since that game against the Washington Commanders when Horton had four catches, but two were for touchdowns. He suffered a shin injury in the game. One might not think a shin issue would keep a player out for so long, but then, fans don't know exactly what kind of problem the rookie is having.
Mike Macdonald certainly isn't saying so. Asked about the status of the fifth-round draft pick, the coach made clear he wasn't a "shin expert," but also implied Horton is nowhere near ready to return. In fact, the wide receiver can't run at full speed.
Macdonald told the media, "I have (no new information) on him. It’s just a matter of if we are going to get there...As a coach, of course, we want him back yesterday. That’s just not the way it works. So the more time you spend worrying about it, you’re going to drive yourself crazy...It’s a shin. I’m not a shin expert, but it’s a shin. Right now, he can’t play full speed. And the shin is the problem."
So, obviously, Tory Horton has a shin injury, and fans already knew that. Is his leg broken? Has he torn a muscle? Will he need surgery? Maybe no one, not even the doctors, knows yet.
But what is also seemingly clear is that Horton isn't going to play the rest of the season. He is eligible to come off injured reserve, but he can't yet fully practice, and that means he won't play in games, of course.
Fortunately, the Seattle Seahawks made a move at the trade deadline for a player who is an upgrade over Horton, at least at this point. Rashid Shaheed can do everything Horton can do (catch passes, return punts, and kickoffs), only better. Shaheed had returned one kickoff for a touchdown and a punt for one, too. Even if Horton was ready to return, he has no spot to play.