Seahawks put DE Jackson on IR after knockout

The Seattle Seahawks have placed defensive end Branden Jackson on injured reserve eight days after he was briefly knocked unconscious during a scrimmage.

The team signed defensive end Pita Taumoepenu in a corresponding move, announcing both on Sunday.

Jackson, 27, was hurt when he knocked helmets with offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi. He was down for several minutes before members of the team’s medical staff strapped him onto a backboard, removing the face mask from his helmet, and loaded him into an ambulance.

Jackson had feeling and movement in his extremities at the time. He was taken to a local hospital as a precaution and released later that night. A source told ESPN that Jackson was able to drive himself home from the team’s facility that night.

The Seahawks ended their scrimmage early when Jackson was injured.

Jackson has been back at the Seahawks’ facility but has not been practicing. Coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that while Jackson doesn’t have a specific injury or any structural damage, he would continue to be evaluated and that the team would be “deliberate” in doing so.

“There’s some concerns that they’re going to check out and make sure we’re really clear on,” Carroll said.

Jackson wrote in an Instagram story last Sunday: “Thankx for all the thoughts and prayer. I’m Good Preciate the love.”

Jackson is entering his fifth NFL season. He went undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2016, spending his rookie season with the Raiders and the past three with Seattle. He has been competing for a roster spot as one of the Seahawks’ rotational defensive ends.

He was scheduled to make a non-guaranteed $2.133 million on the low tender as a restricted free agent this season before the Seahawks released him before training camp then re-signed him. Jackson’s new deal is for one year and $1,047,500, according to a source. That includes a $75,000 signing bonus as the only guaranteed money and a $910,000 base salary. Jackson’s deal counts $877,500 against the salary cap.

Taumoepenu spent time on Seattle’s practice squad last season.