Ziggy Ansah A Game Time Decision
The Seahawks face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and one big question prior to kickoff will be the status of defensive end Ziggy Ansah, who remains listed as questionable for the game.
Ansah, prior to the Jadeveon Clowney trade was Seattle’s top free-agent defensive signing. Ansah who is coming back from shoulder surgery that ended his 2018 season, was inactive last week, but has been practicing the past few weeks and is close to being game-ready the team reports.
This week’s presser Pete Carroll commented, “He practiced all week long,” adding “He did all right, he practiced all week. He wasn’t limited at this point. He’s almost there, he may be there, we’ll find out, see if we can get him to play this week. He’s getting really close. If he doesn’t go this week, he certainly has a great chance for next week.”
The legacy that defensive end Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah left with the Detroit Lions was uneven to say the least. The Seattle Seahawks signed Ansah to a one-year deal early in free-agency, in an attempt to help Seattle rebuild their defense while simultaneously trying to earn himself another deal at the end of the season. This is not a foreign defensive line tactic for GM John Schneider, as the Hawks did similar deals with Michael Bennett, Cliff Averill, and Sheldon Richardson.
What Happened to Ziggy’s Shoulder?
He had recurrent shoulder dislocations. Meaning that the humerus (Arm Bone) was having difficulty staying in the glenoid (Socket). A labral tear can be a very painful but also very debilitating injury. The biggest complaints are typically deep joint pain, shoulder instability, and overall weakness in the shoulder.
The hand-to-hand combat on the defensive line makes this a very difficult injury to recover from. You will routinely see this with linebackers and running backs as they many times can use a brace that will restrict shoulder movement. For defensive linemen to loose the ability to swim, shove, and slap almost makes their ability to put pressure on a guard or tackle obsolete.
There is strong optimism that his recovery will be near a 100%. When healthy he has shown signs of being one of the more dominant defensive lineman in the league. In previous seasons he kept pace with JJ Watt and Khalil Mack. It is our hope that he returns to the form that landed him in the Pro Bowl multiple times. Needless to say his physical therapists, physicians, and trainers will be with him every step of this process.
We wish him the best and Go Hawks!
