Walter Jones Put on IR, Career Possibly in Jeopardy

The Seattle Seahawks placed four-time First Team All-Pro left tackle Walter Jones on the injured reserve list early Wednesday, ending his season and possibly his career.

Jones has too much pain still present in his surgically repaired left knee to make a return this season.

At 35 years old, he may not be able to bounce back from this incident and the aging left tackle may have to call his career quits after undergoing two knee surgeries in the past 11 months.

The big man out of Florida State University was the sixth pick overall in the 1997 NFL draft by the Seahawks and he didn't miss his first games until the 2008 season.

He currently ranks 17th in games started amongst active NFL players, but that total may never grow larger for the imposing protector.

Jones’ professional demeanor off the field and dominating actions on the field established him as the premier left tackle in the league.

He has been the blind-side protector for Seattle quarterbacks for the last decade, and ever since his injury problems began, so has the fall of the franchise.

Jones, along with now-Minnesota Vikings left guard Steve Hutchinson, commanded the left side of a Seahawks offensive line that led the Hawks to the team’s first Super Bowl appearance in 2005.

Additionally, running back Shaun Alexander prospered behind the two mammoths, capturing the NFL’s highest honor by winning the MVP trophy.

However, with Jones incapacitated and Hutchinson long gone, Seattle has fallen from grace in the NFC. The team went just 4-12 last season, partly due to Jones’ continuous battle with injuries until his season ended last Thanksgiving.

This season, the Seahawks are off to a dismal 2-4 start.

Injuries have decimated the entire team to a level of almost comical proportions, and that is why the news of Jones’ season being over comes as just another blow to an already wilting Seattle team.

The Seahawks are now starting little-known Damion McIntosh at left tackle, a journeyman who was picked up on Oct. 14 as an emergency addition to a patchwork offensive line.

Last season the Hawks saw an explosion of injuries in the wide receiving core, forcing them to literally sign players off the street in order to fill the roster.

This season, new head coach Jim Mora has more than a little bit of work in front of him to resurrect this team to the level it reached four seasons ago.

Coming off an embarrassing 27-3 loss at home against the conference rival Arizona Cardinals, the Seahawks are well on their way out of the NFC playoff picture, and nothing short of a miracle will help them salvage the season.

Mora said of Jones, "I'll say this: Walter has done everything that is humanly possible to get back and help this football team. He's been amazing in his attitude and his approach to this. But it's just not happening."

If this injury does mark the end of Jones’ memorable career, his No. 71 jersey will surely join the Ring of Honor at Qwest Field in Seattle.