Most football experts say that presumed starters shouldn't play in the preseason, as there is no reason to risk those players suffering meaningless injuries. The issue with Bud Clark and the Seattle Seahawks gets tricky, though.
For one, Clark wasn't certain to start this year, at least not early in the season, before he broke his ankle in the first quarter of preseason Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. Plus, he was a rookie who needed reps in NFL games, even meaningless ones, to prepare for his first year.
That he was hurt was simply unlucky, and the team is now unlucky that he won't be able to participate in any games. After head coach Mike Macdonald warned fans that Clark would miss many months, the team has announced that the safety will be placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
He wasn't alone, though. Backup offensive lineman Mason Richman was also hurt against the Titans (a leg injury), and he will also miss the season. The second-year pro was expected to play an important role should one of the starters get hurt. Without him, Seattle's depth is much more questionable.
One of the keys to the team winning the Super Bowl last season was the relative health of the offensive line. Left tackle Charles Cross missed several games at the end of the season, but otherwise, most were good. Expecting the same kind of health in 2026 might be hoping for too much.
Clark was expected to play a versatile role on the defense, able to play safety but also in the slot. His positional flexibility was likely to help impact players such as Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori play different roles too. Without Clark, the previous two players might need to perform more traditional roles.
That is assuming that Emmanwori is ready to play in Week 1 against the New England Patriots. He had ankle surgery ahead of training camp, and he hasn't practiced yet. Realistically, the Seattle Seahawks could be without Emmanwori and Clark in Week 1, limiting how creative Mike Macdonald can be with his defensive alignments.
Bud Clark still needed to show he could make a jump from being a college ball-hawk to an impressive NFL player, but he was having a good training camp and trending in the right direction. The Seahawks will need to wait until 2027 to see what he can do now, with the hope that he can be fully healthy by next year's training camp.
Clark and Richman are the second and third players to be placed on the season-ending injured reserve for the Seahawks. The team made the same move with wide receiver Jake Bobo after he hurt his knee against the Titans in a joint practice.
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