RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks will be without another key defensive player for at least the next four games after the team placed starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins on injured reserve Wednesday.
Jenkins has played every snap this season, but has been listed on Seattle's practice reports the past two weeks as having a hand injury. He has worn a cast over his left hand in each of the past two games.
Jenkins will be eligible to return for the Seahawks' Week 12 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
K'Von Wallace and Coby Bryant are Seattle's third and fourth safeties, respectively, behind Jenkins and fellow starter Julian Love. The team also signed Ty Okada off its practice squad Wednesday for added depth.
Jenkins' absence is another blow to a defense that's been short-handed for most of the past month.
The Seahawks put outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu on IR last week and don't expect him to return until late in the season. Rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II -- Seattle's first-round pick -- is practicing Wednesday in the hopes of returning from the hamstring injury that's sidelined him the past three games.
But injuries have hit the back end of Seattle's defense hard. The Seahawks placed nickelback Artie Burns on IR earlier this week, and the statuses of cornerbacks Riq Woolen (ankle) and Tre Brown (ankle) are uncertain as Seattle prepares to play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Woolen didn't play last week as the Seahawks fell to the San Francisco 49ers for their third straight loss.
The team added a cornerback to its practice squad Wednesday, signing former Tennessee Titan Eric Garror.
Coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday that right tackle George Fant (knee) is making progress but is unlikely to come off IR this week. Fant began the season as Seattle's starter with Abe Lucas on the physically unable to perform list. Macdonald said the team will not open Lucas' practice window this week.