Sidney Rice: Update on Seattle Seahawks Star's Head Injury

Head injuries are one of the biggest issues in the NFL right now, and Sidney Rice is the latest victim.

The Seattle Seahawks receiver left in the third quarter of Sunday’s contest against the Washington Redskins, according to rotoworld.com:

Rice was diving for a deep seam pass when he banged his head against the turf. He got up very slowly and had to be helped to the sideline. A few minutes later, he walked to the locker room under his own power. Rice suffered a mild concussion against the Ravens in Week 10, but did not miss a game. A second concussion in such a short period of time would be a major concern.

Fantasy Impact:

Are you ready to read the daily updates on if he can pass the concussion tests?

Rice has been dealing with various injuries seemingly all season and now he is going to be questionable for the next few weeks. Plan on waiting to start him right up until 90 minutes before the game because if he suits up, he is a must start.

Who's the Backup?

With Rice being the clear-cut No. 1, rookie Doug Baldwin is going to see an uptick in targets, as will Deon Butler.

The anemic Seahawks' passing attack was struggling mightily with Rice in the mix, without him it's borderline awful.

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Yet in fantasy, targets are the name of the game and Baldwin is now a viable option with the absence of Rice.

Ignore Butler and Mike Williams unless you are in a 16-team league.

Devastation Scale: 8

If the Seahawks have any hope of crawling back into the mix for a wild card spot, they have to have Rice. He opens up the field for Marshawn Lynch and allows the Seattle offense to take shots down the field. Williams was supposed to be that guy, but he has been a massive disappointment this season.

Without the speed of Rice, this season is officially over for the Seahawks .

Timeline For Return

It’s too early to tell how severe the injury is, but the NFL is proceeding with extreme caution anytime a head injury occurs. Just look at the Detroit Lions' Jahvid Best. He is out for the season after suffering two concussions. Then again, early in the season Michael Vick was knocked out of a game against the Falcons with what was clearly a head injury. He didn’t miss a single game.

At this point you can assume Rice will miss one week, but after that it’s all guess work.