It's a short week for the Seattle Seahawks after their upset of Denver on Monday night as they visit San Francisco on Sunday in the 49ers' home opener, and both clubs will be missing at minimum one key player: Seattle Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams is done for the season and 49ers top running back Elijah Mitchell will miss about eight weeks. Niners Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle also is likely to sit but nothing official yet. San Francisco was a double-digit favorite at Caesa rs Sportsbook earlier this week but is down to -8.5.
On Wednesday, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Adams was still deciding on the best options to repair an injury to his quadriceps tendon suffered in the season opener, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting that Adams will indeed have season-ending surgery. He had three tackles and a pass defensed against the Broncos. The three-time Pro Bowler – who was the league's highest-paid safety for a while — hasn't played more than 12 games with Seattle due to injury since being traded from the Jets, and that trend obviously will continue.
In the 25 games he has played, the Seahawks are 14-11. Adams set the NFL's all-time sack record for a defensive back with 9.5 in 2020. But Pro Football Focus ranked him 53rd among 94 safeties in the league for the season. Last year, when Adams had zero sacks, PFF ranked him 63rd of 91 before his labrum tear and 85th in pass defense. After Adams exited Monday's win early in the second quarter, veteran Josh Jones took his place alongside starting free safety Quandre Diggs. Playing 53 snaps, Jones produced seven tackles.
Mitchell sprained the MCL in his right knee in the Niners' upset Week 1 loss in Chicago and will miss about two months. He had six carries for 41 yards before the injury. Last year as a sixth-round rookie, Mitchell rushed for 963 yards and five scores. San Francisco has yet to have a 1,000-yard rusher in Kyle Shanahan's tenure, in part due to injuries, but also because he likes a tailback-by-committee approach. Shanahan said “we'll go with the hot hand in the game” with Mitchell sidelined.