Abraham Lucas might be out for a while still
Head coach Pete Carroll said on Tuesday when asked about the possibility of Abraham Lucas returning, "Just not quite ready." Carroll said the same thing a few weeks ago about Lucas, too. It is very difficult to parse Pete's words, but we might start safely assuming that Lucas won't be back for weeks, if not missing the rest of the season entirely.
Soft tissue injuries are much more difficult to ascertain as far as how long a player will be out. Lucas had some pain in his knee - an injury he has had since college - and got an injection for the pain. Carroll said Lucas has been running some but also feeling "discomfort." That word is really concerning.
With broken bones it's actually easier to know where a player is in their rehab. We can see if the bone is healed on x-rays and do tests on the strength of the bone. With knee injuries and a player feeling discomfort, there is no telling when or if that discomfort will subside. We know that Lucas played in Week 1 and then was placed on injured reserve where he remains, and we do not know when he will be ready to return.
In Lucas's absence, the Seahawks have played Jake Curhan, Stone Forsythe, and Jason Peters at right tackle. Curhan started well, but faded. Forsythe has been solid but not spectacular. Peters will be a Hall of Famer but he's also 41 years old now. Seattle needs Lucas back, but he might not return soon.