The Seattle Seahawks suffered two big blows on Sunday during their 20-17 road win over the Arizona Cardinals. Of course, they lost All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas, which could be a momentous setback for their young secondary in which Thomas was playing lights out to help supplement the youth. But, they also lost one of their rising young talents from their solid 2018 draft class. Prior to Thomas losing his 2018 season in the fourth quarter of a 17-17 ballgame, rookie tight end Will Dissly lost his season in the first quarter when the game was still tied 0-0. According to reports, Dissly suffered a patellar tendon tear and will be out of the season. Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed the injury during his post-game press conference and now the Seahawks have to reconfigure their tight end position after losing a starter who gave them elite blocking and great pass catching ability to the tune of eight receptions for 156 yards and and two touchdowns. But, more importantly to Dissly, he has to reconfigure his knee after an injury that has been proven to be a tough nut to crack. Coincidentally, the man he replaced this season -- Green Bay Packers tight end Jimmy Graham -- suffered the same injury during his first season with Seattle in 2015 and was able to make the leap back; although some would argue he did lose some in the athleticism department. In 2016, Graham caught 65 of his 95 targets (68 percent) for 923 yards and six touchdowns. He did see a decline in 2017 as he caught 57 of his 96 targets (59 percent) for 520 yards but 10 touchdowns. This season, he's caught 64 percent of his passes for 169 yards and one touchdown, which puts him on pace for 656 yards and four touchdowns. It's hard to separate his usage in the Seahawks system, or lack thereof, from the wear and tear of the injury along with just being older. Graham was in year six of his NFL career when he suffered the injury but because of his high usage in the New Orleans Saints offense for four-straight seasons, he logged a ton of miles. And it's also not like he disappeared into the ether after the injury. He came back to post productive seasons. Dissly's much younger and has a different skill set but just like Graham, he's got the right attitude to overcome the setback. "Just as I thought. The sun came up today! #BuiltForThis" Dissly tweeted out on Monday. Pete Carroll certainly enjoyed the sentiment. "He's an amazing, amazing kid. He's going to be a great Seahawk and we're thrilled to have him. (Seahawks netted back-to-back wins but at what cost?. Don't MISS any critical updates. Stay informed right along with us -- take five seconds to Sign up for our Free Seahawks newsletter now!) While Dissly doesn't look the part of the athlete; the Seahawks have raved about his natural athleticism, which reveals itself through other sports. Quarterback Russell Wilson claims he can smash a baseball. The rookie tight end's strengths come from his big frame but he is quicker than most probably give him credit for being. This injury normally will take some of that quickness away. It'll be interesting to see what if any adjustments he'll have to make to compensate for that issue, if it becomes an issue at all. But unlike Graham, the young playmaker/blocker isn't asked to make leaping catches in the end zone or run go routes down the seams. His game isn't predicated on that; those facts bode well for his recovery and his future. Still, the Seahawks lose one of their better draft picks in recent memory. That's a rough break. And even rougher break for a young player who was doing everything right and had already earned a starting spot but clearly, he's taking it in stride. Truly, he may just be built to handle this early adversity.<doc-sep>The Seahawks have reportedly lost tight end Will Dissly, a rookie standout, for the rest of the year. RELATED: Curse in desert continues: Seahawks' Thomas fractures leg vs. Cardinals, could miss rest of season Following Sunday's 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Pete Carroll said the rookie out of Washington suffered a "patellar injury." The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported later that Dissly tore his patella and is out for the season. The injury occurred in the first quarter. After hauling in a five-yard reception, Dissly was pushed out of bounds by Cardinals safety Antoine Bethea and remained on the ground. He was eventually carted off and didn't return. Dissly, a top target for quarterback Russell Wilson, surprised many eyes early this season with his pass-catching skills. RELATED: Carroll ties Holmgren as Seattle Seahawks' winningest head coach Drafted as blocking tight end out of Washington, Dissly recorded 13 catches for 151 yards in his first three games. He burst on to the scene in the season opener with five receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Broncos. Dissly broke a handful of rookie tight end records in his first few games. His loss is a major blow to the Seahawks' offense. Dissly's injury wasn't the only significant one for the Seahawks in Arizona Sunday. Star safety Earl Thomas, who suffered a leg fracture in the fourth quarter, is expected to miss the rest of the season. Ben Arthur is a Seahawks reporter for the SeattlePI. He can be reached by email at benjaminarthur@seattlepi.com. Follow him on twitter at @benyarthur.<doc-sep>The Seahawks have gone from having two ex-Husky tight ends to zero in just a week. After a fantastic start to the season, Will Dissly suffered a patellar tendon tear in his right knee during the first quarter against Arizona and will miss the rest of the season. Even worse, it’s an injury that can hamper athleticism even after rehab. Meanwhile, backup tight end Darrell Daniels was released by Seattle on September 25th, likely due at least in part to the surprising productivity of Dissly. John Ross caught two passes for 52 yards, including his second career touchdown in the Bengals’ narrow win over Atlanta. Budda Baker made 5 tackles in Arizona’s loss to Seattle. Zeke Turner has continued to play on special teams for the Cardinals. Dante Pettis suffered an injury to his left knee while returning a punt in the opening minutes of San Francisco’s loss to the Chargers. Cory Littleton made 9 tackles in the Rams’ Thursday Night win over the Vikings. Marcus Peters was listed as questionable for the Rams’ game on short rest with an injured calf suffered in week 3, but played every snap and made 6 tackles. Senio Kelemete left the Texans’ overtime win over the Colts with a knee injury, but later returned. Danny Shelton helped the Patriots’ defense stiffen up to slow down the Dolphins offense. Kevin King missed his second consecutive game with a groin injury for Green Bay. Vita Vea made his first NFL appearance in Tampa Bay’s blowout loss to Chicago. He had little chance to make an impact in run-stuffing, though, as the Bears mostly played through the air. A pair of Huskies caught two passes each in Jaguars-Jets: Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught 2 passes for 24 yards for Jacksonville, while Jermaine Kearse got 23 yards for New York. Sidney Jones continues to play well at slot corner for Philadelphia. A number of fans are hoping he’ll get a chance to pass the struggling Jalen Mills on the depth chart. Marvin Hall caught a pass for two yards for the Falcons, but also had a big kick return to set up the Atlanta offense at midfield to start the game. Desmond Trufant played poorly in the Falcons’ loss to Cincinnati, missing what appeared to be a sure interception. Mason Foster (Redskins) and Shaq Thompson (Panthers) had byes in week 4. Keishawn Bierria plays tonight for the Broncos against Kansas City.<doc-sep>
Earl Thomas’ season-ending leg injury, and subsequent one-fingered salute to the Seahawks sideline, was the big story in Seattle’s 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals. However, rookie tight end Will Dissly also suffered what appears to be a season-ending injury. With 8:06 left in the first quarter, Dissly caught a pass down the sideline and was brought down out of bounds. He remained down on the field, and was eventually taken off on a cart. Word after the game was that Dissly suffered an injury to his patella, similar to the injury Jimmy Graham suffered in 2015. Without Dissly, who had eight catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns this season, the Seahawks will need to plug a huge hole at the tight end spot. Fortunately, veteran Ed Dickson is on the reserve/non-football injury list and Pete Carroll expects him to be ready to return when he is first eligible. Dickson has started 85 games in his eight-year career, and will provide excellent veteran leadership, run-blocking, and sure hands when he returns. Until then, third-year man Nick Vannett will be Seattle’s primary tight end option. Vannett only caught one pass (on two targets) after Dissly’s early departure on Sunday. However, that could have been in part to protect him, as an injury to Vannett would have left the Seahawks without any tight ends on the active roster. While Vannett will be the lead guy for the next two games (they have a bye in Week 7) the team will need to find someone to serve as his backup. Presently, the Seahawks have two tight ends on the practice squad: Darrell Daniels and Marcus Lucas. Daniels was on the active roster for the first three games of the season but was waived to make room for defensive end Branden Jackson. Daniels played primarily on the special teams for Seattle but had three receptions in his rookie year with the Colts. Additionally, Tyrone Swoopes has yet to be signed after the Seahawks released him back in September. A former quarterback, Swoopes had four receptions for 33 yards in the preseason. He could be added to the practice squad to take the place of Daniels if the team wants to ensure extra depth before Dickson’s return.