Ty Okada is set to return to the Seattle Seahawks lineup on Sunday against the 49ers after missing the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said the veteran safety was "good to go," and Okada had been a full participant in practice for the second straight day earlier in the week.
The return gives Seattle a needed safety option as it tries to manage a Week 5 injury report that still includes several absences. Rodney Thomas II had been filling in for Okada while he was sidelined, so this week's move restores a player the Seahawks had hoped to have available much earlier in the season.
Seahawks get a safety back
Okada's absence was a familiar one by this point. He had been out for the first four games with the hamstring injury, and Seattle had adjusted around him while staying within the 53-man roster picture. His return is the clearest change on the Seahawks side of the game plan going into Sunday.
Leonard Williams also remained part of the week's storyline. He was limited on Wednesday after leaving the Chargers game with an ankle injury, did not practice on Thursday, then returned to the field on Friday and was ready to play. That gave Seattle one more important defender available after a week that could easily have gone in a tougher direction.
Other Week 5 injury decisions
Not every update went Seattle's way. Julian Neal, Chazz Surratt and Zach Charbonnet were ruled out for Sunday. Charbonnet remained on the physically unable to perform list even after returning to practice last week, leaving the Seahawks without another option as they prepared for San Francisco.
On the other side, the 49ers will also be missing a major piece. Nick Bosa was ruled out for a third straight game, which is notable given the impact he usually has on San Francisco's pass rush. That leaves both teams trying to manage absences in a game that already carried plenty of injury context.
For Seattle, the most important news is straightforward: Okada is back. After four missed games, the Seahawks finally get another look at the safety in a matchup that should help clarify where the secondary stands moving forward.
