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Brady HendersonESPN
The Seattle Seahawks have brought in free-agent running back Alex Collins to begin COVID-19 testing and could add him to their practice squad as early as next week, a source tells ESPN.
Collins arrived in Seattle Thursday night to begin testing Friday, the source said. The NFL’s COVID-19 protocols require six negative tests over six days before a player can enter a team’s facility for the first time.
Collins was drafted in the fifth round by Seattle in 2016, spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since then.
The Seahawks are dealing with injuries to their top three running backs. Starter Chris Carson (foot), Carlos Hyde (hamstring) and Travis Homer (knee) all missed practiced Wednesday and Thursday, putting their statuses for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers in question.
“We’re going to have to see how Chris’ foot is,” coach Pete Carroll told KIRO Radio 97.3 FM in an interview that aired Friday morning. “We’re going all the way to game day on that one. It looks like Carlos has got a hamstring that might keep him from getting in there. So we’ve got some issues.”
Rookie DeeJay Dallas and fullback Nick Bellore are the only other running backs on the Seahawks’ roster. They don’t have any on their practice squad.
The 26-year-old Collins has rushed for 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns on 357 carries (4.2 average) over three seasons. He made 22 starts over two seasons with Baltimore and rushed for a career-best 973 yards in 2017.
Collins worked out for the Seahawks late last season and recently for the Detroit Lions.
Information from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert was used in this story.