How will the Seattle Seahawks proceed if Connor Williams can’t suit up vs. 49ers?

“It’s disruptive to anybody. Obviously, center is tougher,” Grubb said. “That guy makes a lot of decisions, but I hope the guys have adjusted and done a good job of being ready. I think obviously any position has to be ready at any time to step in and be ready, that the limelight hits them.”

To this point, Willams, who signed with Seattle in mid-August, hasn’t quite delivered the promise to the offensive line expected upon arrival. A somewhat slow start wasn’t a surprise coming off a torn ACL, but in recent weeks he’s struggled mightily catching the ball to Geno Smith, including sending a snap in the red zone in a loss to the Bills for three weeks ago. He also stepped on the quarterback’s foot and tripped him up on a fourth down on another red zone miscue in the same game.

Williams has been rock solid in pass protection, though, allowing 11 pressures in 427 pass-blocking reps for a 98.3 percent pass-blocking efficiency rate, easily the highest mark on the Seahawks’ offensive line through nine games. Per Pro Football Focus, he has also graded favorably as a run blocker, ranking 10th out of 30 qualified centers with a grade of 71.0.

Given those numbers and the aforementioned responsibilities, either Oluwatimi or Sundell will have massive shoes to fill in Santa Clara if Williams is not on the team. As for which one would start in that scenario, Grubb wasn’t about to give up that information Thursday, but he expressed confidence in both players should they jump into the lineup.

If past experience is valued, Oluwatimi should be next in line after Williams. The former fifth-round pick out of Michigan hasn’t played a ton of regular-season snaps in the NFL and hasn’t seen action at center this year, but he started for the Seahawks in a win over the Cardinals last season, is playing well in place of an injured Evan Brown.

In limited action as a rookie, Oluwatimi surrendered just one pressure in 68 pass-blocking reps, performing at a high level when called upon. Grubb has been impressed with how the second-year center has upped the ante since Williams joined the team and responded to losing the starting job in training camp, believing he has improved by leaps and bounds since the start of OTAs in April and will be ready to roll if requested.

“I think since Connor has come here, Olu has really stepped up and his competition with himself has increased. The way he pushes himself in training and how he prepares and gets ready for a game , I think has really changed,” Grubb explained. “I just feel, honestly, he’s a different guy than he was in OTAs. I feel like it was kind of him growing as a young player and realizing how hard it is to win a job in the NFL. I feel like instead if he backs that challenge, he’s really stepped up to it.”

Interestingly, Oluwatimi has been a healthy scratch in two games earlier this year, albeit largely thanks to Sundell’s rare versatility. The undrafted rookie earned All-American honors as a tackle at North Dakota State last season, allowing just nine pressures and a sack as a senior, and the Seahawks have worked him at both tackle spots as well as center since signing him in late July. before the start of the training camp.

With veteran tackles George Fant and Abraham Lucas sidelined for most of the season, Seattle has had limited depth behind Charles Cross and Stone Forsythe, who were also injured last month. As a result, Sundell, who was perhaps the biggest surprise to earn a roster spot out of camp and the preseason, has suited up for every single game up to this point as an emergency tackle option while also serving as Williams’ backup for a couple. of games.

“Smart and tough. He’s really done a good job,” Grubb said. “You think about how far he’s come and his knowledge retention in the system. When you ask a guy to be a backup center and a backup tackle, you’re talking on both sides of a lot of information there, and he does not and I think he’s a ferocious player who really has a good mindset and likes to play the ball.”

Based on the fact that Sundell has dressed for more games than Oluwatimi this year, one might jump to the conclusion that the rookie is ahead of Oluwatimi on the depth chart. But that might not necessarily be the case, as Sundell’s positional flexibility has had more to do with the game-day decisions than anything else, and Oluwatimi clearly offers more experience and Remington Award pedigree as college football’s top center in 2022.

Ultimately, whoever Seattle plays with will be presented with an excellent audition opportunity, as Williams will be a free agent in March, and if Oluwatimi or Sundell plays well in his place, the player could be set up to earn a full-time starting job in 2025.

If Williams ends up returning on Friday and can play on Sunday, this debate will obviously become a moot point. But it’s likely the veteran center won’t be back in time for the game and he could potentially be out longer, making the decision whether Oluwatimi or Sundell will receive the starting nod in his absence one of the most intriguing storylines moving forward into the second half of the season for the Seahawks.

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