Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald is gutted amid heartbreaking injuries

Preseason scores rarely keep NFL coaches up at night, but a brutal medical report certainly does. The Seattle Seahawks endured a nightmare trip to Nashville, capped off by losing rookie safety Bud Clark to a broken ankle during Sunday night’s 19-16 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Head coach Mike Macdonald was visibly shaken after the game, admitting the sudden wave of injuries has hit the locker room hard, via Brady Henderson for ESPN. 

“It’s a heartbreaker, honestly,” Macdonald told reporters. “We’ve had three heartbreakers this week, which is tough.”

Clark, a second-round pick out of TCU, went down on the very first defensive snap and will miss multiple months after leaving the field with an air cast on his right leg. The damage didn’t stop there. Backup offensive lineman Mason Richman suffered what Macdonald called a major, long-term injury on the opening drive. Those setbacks came just days after wide receiver Jake Bobo suffered a season-ending knee injury during Friday’s joint practice.

The injury carnage completely overshadowed a fast start from Seattle’s backups. Quarterback Drew Lock sparked the offense early, completing 12 of 14 passes for 103 yards and finding tight end Elijah Arroyo for a 36-yard touchdown. Running back Jacardia Wright also turned heads, ripping off an explosive 69-yard touchdown run and finishing with 81 rushing yards on eight carries to help build an early 16-3 lead.

However, Tennessee methodically erased the deficit. Titans kicker Joey Slye drilled four field goals, including a 55-yarder, before running back D’Ernest Johnson punched in a 2-yard touchdown with 5:45 remaining to capture the win.

While exhibition losses mean nothing in the standings, losing vital roster depth right before the regular season leaves Macdonald and his coaching staff scrambling for answers.