The Seattle Seahawks are just days away from their season-opening game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and two of their most important offensive stars have not been at practice.
Marshawn Lynch, Seattle's feature back, has been struggling with back spasms for most of the preseason. His status is not clear for Week 1, and Robert Turbin may be asked to bear Lynch's heavy workload. Lynch carried the ball 285 times while rushing for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2011, his best season as a pro.
The Seahawks are certain to be without one of their top playmakers on the outside, as Golden Tate has not been practicing after suffering a right knee injury in the final preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Tate is expected to miss two weeks.
It's not all bad news this week on the injury front, as last year's first-round pick, guard James Carpenter, has returned to practice after missing 10 months with an ACL injury. Carpenter started the first nine games as a rookie in 2011 before suffering the severe setback.
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