RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins will not play this season because of a back injury, coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday.
The Seahawks re-signed Hankins to a one-year, $2.115 million deal in May, bringing him back for a second season in Seattle and his 13th season in the NFL. But he landed on the non-football injury list in July, and there had been no signs of late that he was nearing a return to practice.
Macdonald declined to reveal whether Hankins, 33, had back surgery, saying, "I'll probably just leave it private right now with what's going on with his health, but he won't be with us this year."
Asked if Hankins' injury is career-ending, Macdonald said, "I hope not. The back's tricky. If it's not working, it's not a fun situation to be in. So we wish him the best."
A second-round pick in 2013, Hankins has also played for the Giants, Raiders, Colts and Cowboys.
In other Seahawks injury news, left guard Grey Zabel (knee), linebacker Tyrice Knight (concussion protocol) and wide receiver Tory Horton (shin) were not on track to practice Wednesday, per Macdonald. He said Monday that Zabel avoided a serious injury when he went down in the fourth quarter of Seattle's loss to the Rams, and that the rookie first-round pick is considered day-to-day.
Macdonald said rookie defensive lineman Rylie Mills appears to be a couple of weeks away from practicing. The fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame has been on the NFI list while working his way back from an ACL tear in December.
