The Seattle Seahawks will be without quarterback Paxton Lynch in their third preseason game this Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lynch suffered a neck injury after taking a vicious hit from safety Holton Hill of the Vikings on Sunday, which resulted in an ejection for Hill.
He promptly entered the concussion protocol and coach Pete Carroll reported Wednesday Lynch is still dealing with neck soreness.
“We’re gonna hold him out this week,” Carroll said. “Didn’t quite make it back yet, passing all the protocol and all, and we’re just gonna take care of him. He took a nasty hit, his neck is still sore.”
Lynch’s absence will create an opportunity for Geno Smith, who sat out last week while recovering from a knee procedure, to regain the lead in the battle to be Russell Wilson’s backup this season.
Carroll indicated Smith is 100 percent healthy and will get a chance to play a lot against his former team on Saturday.
