Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka went down with a calf injury in Sunday’s game in Washington. As a result, the team has signed veteran kicker Ryan Longwell according to ESPN.com:
Ryan Longwell, a 15-year NFL veteran who has not been in uniform this season, will sign with theSeattle Seahawks following a tryout Tuesday during which he outperformed competition from three other kickers, including Neil Rackers, according to sources.
Although Hauschka may ultimately be ready to go for Sunday’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome, the Seahawks are taking no chances by bringing in Longwell as an insurance policy if Hauschka is unable to go.
Longwell hasn’t played a single game this season after being cut by the Minnesota Vikings in the off-season. The 38-year-old veteran was a surprising cut by the Vikings after six years with the team and no indications that he would be released.
Before landing with Vikings back in 2006, Longwell played for the Green Bay Packers for nine years. Throughout his entire career in the NFL, Longwell hasn’t missed a single game and seemed to get better with age. Longwell field-goal percentage increased drastically during his time in Minnesota (86.0 percent) in comparison to being in Green Bay (81.6 percent).
As for the Seahawks, Wilson and company will have their work cut out for them against the Falcons on Sunday with Atlanta rested and ready to defend their home field.
Along with Hauschka dealing with a calf injury, the Seahawks also lost a major piece to the puzzle in the form of defensive end Chris Clemons who suffered a torn ACL in the win over the Redskins.
