Dropping their second preseason game to the Broncos, the Seahawks didn't just suffer a lopsided defeat at Lumen Field. The loss proved costly in other ways due to severe knee injuries suffered by receiver John Ursua and linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven.
While Burr-Kirven's status remains unknown, Ursua announced on Instagram live that he tore his ACL in his left knee during the second quarter of Saturday's contest. He will likely need season-ending reconstructive knee surgery and Seattle is expected to place him on injured reserve in coming days.
Ursua suffered the non-contact injury with a little over four minutes remaining in the second quarter, crumpling to the turf at the Broncos 40-yard line. His knee appeared to give out at the top of his route and trainers promptly rushed out on the field to tend to him before calling for the medical cart. He was immediately ruled out to return.
Following the game, coach Pete Carroll wasn't able to provide details on Ursua or Burr-Kirven but indicated both suffered "serious" knee injuries. The worst fear has been realized for the former, who also tore his ACL while playing collegiately at Hawaii.
One of college football's most prolific receivers for the Warriors, Ursua led the FBS Division I level with 16 receiving touchdowns as a senior in 2018 and produced 89 receptions for 1,343 yards. The Seahawks traded back into the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft to select him and he was expected to compete for playing time out of the slot right away.
Unfortunately, Ursua struggled to grasp Seattle's playbook as a rookie and wasn't able to find a niche on special teams. He only played in three games as a rookie, recording a single catch for 11 yards in the season finale. Then in 2020, Penny Hart beat him out for the final receiver spot in training camp and he spent the entire season on the practice squad.
After a slow start to this year's camp, Ursua came on strong over the past week, turning in several of his best practices in a Seahawks uniform. He already had three receptions for 34 yards in Saturday's contest before exiting, a sign he may have finally figured things out. Now, he faces a lengthy rehab and will be a restricted free agent next March, putting his future with the team in doubt.
With Ursua being done for the season, undrafted rookie Cade Johnson could be the biggest benefactor from his absence. The former South Dakota State star caught three passes for 34 yards against Denver despite iffy accuracy from quarterback Sean Mannion and has flashed on special teams as well. Fellow undrafted rookie Connor Wedington and second-year receiver Aaron Fuller should also see more chances to play in the exhibition finale next weekend.
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