Seattle Seahawks first round pick L.J. Collier’s NFL career has not gotten off to as strong of a start as he would have hoped.
An unusual ankle injury suffered in training camp caused Collier to miss the entire preseason and the first week of the regular season.
He was able to return in Week 2, but was “rusty” according to coach Pete Carroll, and was relegated to being a healthy inactive in Week 3 with Ezekiel Ansah’s return.
Despite the setbacks, it looks like Collier is going to get another chance to begin establishing himself as an NFL caliber defensive end in Week 4 against the Cardinals air raid offense and their elusive rookie quarterback, Kyler Murray.
With both Quinton Jefferson and Ezekiel Ansah listed as questionable, coach Carroll indicated the Seahawks are looking for Collier to be active and involved this week.
Collier has only appeared in 16 NFL snaps, but his ability to play on the outside and on the inside could make him extra valuable against Arizona.
The Cardinals are expected to pass the ball a ton, and having an extra player capable of rushing the passer lining up on the inside will be a valuable weapon in Seattle’s 4-3 base defensive sets.
