Lofa Tatupu

Already dealing with key injuries, the Seattle Seahawks took another hit on Sunday, losing middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu for the season with a torn left pectoral muscle. Seattle coach Jim Mora announced Tatupu would miss the rest of the season and need surgery following Seattle's 27-3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Tatupu, a three-time Pro Bowler, appeared to get hurt while tackling Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald late in the second quarter. Tatupu walked off holding his left chest area and with his left arm appearing limp. "The Lofa thing is tough. It's a blow to our team. It's a blow to him as a ... Read Full Story

Walter Jones has gone on the Seahawks' injured reserve list, ending the nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle's season and perhaps his illustrious career. Coach Jim Mora said Wednesday the 35-year-old Jones still has pain that is "not bearable" in his surgically repaired left knee. The anchor to Seattle's offensive line for the last decade has had two knee surgeries since he last played, last Thanksgiving. Mora is not ruling out a third surgery for the former All-Pro. The coach has no idea whether Jones can or will want to return in 2010. Also, three-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu is in Alabama having ... Read Full Story

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu left Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half with a shoulder injury. Minutes later, defensive end Patrick Kerney re-injured his groin. Tatupu, a three-time Pro Bowler, appeared to get hurt while tackling Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald late in the second quarter. Tatupu walked off holding his left chest area and with his left arm appearing limp. Two team doctors and three trainers attended to him briefly on the bench. A doctor pressed on Tatupu's shoulder, and the linebacker reacted with a painful jerk. A physician then escorted Tatupu into the locker room. The team announced his ... Read Full Story

Lofa Tatupu may not be out for the season after all. Seahawks coach Jim Mora said Monday further tests on the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker's chest muscle indicated a partial tear rather than a complete one. Mora says team medical personnel are now examining Tatupu's relatively healthy pectoral muscle on the right side. They will compare it to the injured left one to further gauge how much damage the left pectoral sustained. If Monday's results from the magnetic resonance imaging exam are proven accurate, Tatupu could be back after a few weeks of rehabilitation. The team's co-captain was injured while trying to tackle Arizona ... Read Full Story

Lofa Tatupu has had multiple concussions. He's one of the first three active NFL players who have agreed to donate their brains for research after death. He's also been to three Pro Bowls in four pro seasons. Last year, he signed a $42 million contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks, with $18 million guaranteed. That leaves his family set for life. So news that retired professional football players may have a higher rate than normal of Alzheimer's disease or other memory problems doesn't faze him. And, no, the 26-year-old star doesn't think about issues such as dementia now, in the prime of his career. ... Read Full Story