Seattle Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo won’t be taking the field anytime soon.
The second-year player out of Miami suffered a shoulder injury while trying to bounce back from Rashid Shaheed’s upset in last Thursday’s loss to the Denver Broncos. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the injury is evident enough to put him on injured reserve, which means at least four games. Seattle’s bye week is after the fourth game of that IR stint, so the earliest Arroyo can return is Week 12 at the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving weekend.
Arroyo has just two targets and one catch for 17 yards this season, all while generally splitting snaps with fellow backup tight end, Eric Saubert. It’s worth noting that against the Broncos, the Seahawks not only made Nick Kallerup a game-day active for the first time since Week 3, but Kallerup already out-snapped Arroyo before the injury occurred.
The Seahawks selected Arroyo in the second round at No. 50 overall. Arroyo was praised for his receiving skills, even with a period of productivity. One of the cautions for Arroyo (outside of her obstruction) is her health. In 2022, Arroyo tore his ACL so badly that he played in only four games in 2023. After missing no games in 2024, Arroyo injured his knee in the Senior Bowl and did not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine.
So far, injuries have affected Arroyo in his NFL career. At the end of last regular season, Arroyo was placed on injured reserve after injuring his knee against the Atlanta Falcons, although he was activated in time for the NFC Championship Game. At least this injury wasn’t another knee, but it was an unfortunate health setback for Arroyo nonetheless.