DK Metcalf in text group with Russell Wilson--and back for Seahawks; Abe Lucas’ 2024 debut

DK Metcalf hasn't played in almost a full month. So he's had time to keep involved in his text chain with...

Russell Wilson. And Tyler Lockett.

"Yes sir. Me, him, and 'Lock' have a group text together where we keep in touch with each other," Metcalf, the Seahawks' top wide receiver said of Wilson.

Metcalf and Wilson trained together annually in offseasons, at the quarterback's homes in Southern California and in Mexico. Wilson taught Metcalf to swim on one of those training weeks, in early 2020.

So, yes, Metcalf has noticed Wilson has gone 3-0 with six touchdown passes against one interception in his first three starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers . A calf injury delayed Wilson's Pittsburgh debut for months.

"He's been doing really well," Metcalf said. "Him and Bobby (Wagner, the former Seahawks All-Pro and champion linebacker now with the Washington Commanders ).

"But condolences out to Quandre (Diggs). He got hurt. Those are pretty much the three people that I keep in contact with for the most part."

Diggs had surgery this week for a foot injury that is ending his first season with the Tennessee Titans. The Seahawks released their former Pro Bowl safety this spring.

Metcalf's text group isn't his only reunion.

It was Welcome Back Wednesday for him and the Seahawks.

Metcalf and Abe Lucas practiced together for the first time since last Dec. 29.

The happiest Seahawk about that? Probably Geno Smith.

The quarterback's top wide receiver, Metcalf, was a full participant in his first practice since he sprained his knee Oct. 20 in the team's win at Atlanta. That was hours after coach Mike Macdonald had said Metcalf would be a limited participant in his first on-field work coming back from a grade-one sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Starting right tackle Lucas, maybe Seattle's best offensive lineman to protect Smith, also practiced Wednesday on a limited basis, as he has for the last three weeks. Earlier in the day the Seahawks activated him to the 53-man roster off the physically-unable-to-perform list. Lucas hasn't practiced or played since the team's final home game of the 2023 season, last New Year's Eve against Pittsburgh . He then had knee surgery and a delayed return, three months past when Macdonald said Lucas was expected back.

Metcalf's and Lucas' practicing are strong signs both will play Sunday when the Seahawks (4-5) try to end their six-game losing streak to San Francisco in an NFC West game against the 49ers (5-4) in Santa Clara, California (1:05 p.m., channel 13).

Seahawks without Metcalf, Lucas The Seahawks have been playing second-string tackle George Fant, third-stringer Stone Forsythe and fourth-string rookie Mike Jerrell over the first nine games Lucas has missed. Fant went on injured reserve Wednesday and Lucas took his roster spot. Fant injured his knee for the second time in Seattle's last game, against the Rams. He played 30 snaps in two starts while injuring his knee twice the first half of this season.

Forsythe is on injured reserve with a hand issue. Jerrell had an impressive NFL debut at Atlanta then often got run past and pushed by the Bills' and Rams' defensive fronts the last two games.

"I think Abe just brings a type of physicality and toughness to the offensive line, especially at the right-tackle position," Metcalf said. "I think Mike has done a great job, and George has done a great job.

"But Abe is just different in the way that he views the game and views the position and how he plays the position. So it'll be fun just to have him back."

When asked if he is for certain playing Sunday Metcalf said "I don't know," that he first has to see how he responds to practicing again for the first time in four weeks. He missed Seattle's home losses to Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams before a bye last week.

Yet all signs are Metcalf is playing.

"Optimistic," Macdonald said of that happening.

In the teams' first meeting Oct. 10 at Lumen Field Metcalf had three catches on 11 targets by Smith. Seattle lost 36-24.

Metcalf said his return will make Smith and the offense tougher for the 49ers — then the division-leading Arizona Cardinals next week, the New York Jets the first day of December, the Cardinals again and so on — to defend the Seahawks. Tougher than the Bills and Rams had it against Seattle, though Jaxon Smith-Njigba had his career day with seven catches on 13 targets for 180 yards and the Seahawks' two touchdowns in their 26-20 overtime loss to the Rams Nov. 3.

Teams including the 49ers routinely double-cover Metcalf with a cornerback short and a safety deep in cloud-like coverage.

"Correct, yes sir. I mean it just opens up the offense that much more, whether they're having to double team, me and him and 'Lock' gets open, or we were able to run the ball and Ken (Kenneth Walker) gashes them or Zach (Charbonnet) gashes them for a long run.

"I think it just puts more pressure on the defense to have to cover all of our skill positions."

Christian McCaffrey's back In Santa Clara, Christian McCaffrey was a limited participant in the 49ers practice. Sunday will be his second game this season coming back from his Achilles injury.

The do-it-all running back had 39 yards on 13 carries last weekend as Tampa Bay stacked the line of scrimmage to stop him. So he burned the Buccaneers with six receptions on seven targets by quarterback Brock Purdy, for 68 of Purdy's 353 yards passing. McCaffrey had a 30-yard catch in the Niners' 23-20 win on a final-play field goal.

Macdonald knows all too well how big a challenge McCaffrey will be Sunday.

The two-time All-Pro rushed 14 times for 103 yards and a touchdown last Christmas night against Macdonald's Baltimore Ravens defense the coach coordinated. Purdy targeted McCaffrey with passes 10 times that night in Santa Clara. McCaffrey had six catches for 28 yards as San Francisco lost to Macdonald's Ravens 33-19.

How does having McCaffrey back change the Niners' offense?

How did Barry Sanders change the Detroit Lions back in the day?

"You have last year's tape and then all the things they've done off of it, and then you have kind of a one-game sample (from 2024)," Macdonald said. "And they were doing (in the first eight games this season without him) a lot of the things that they do with McCaffrey now, albeit it might've been with Deebo (Samuel) or with the running backs that they had out there. ... You're talking about interchangeable parts and guys that can do multiple things.

"I think you're probably more likely to get Christian in funkier spots that they normally didn't do with the other running backs, or really any other running back in the league. So those are things you have to account for, and, really, any situation. So they do a great job of, everybody kind of knows all the different spots and they don't lose timing or anything like that."