Seattle Seahawks receiver Ricardo Lockette is undergoing neck surgery to deal with injuries suffered during a collision on Sunday, November 2. While making a play on a punt return, Lockette was hit violently by Dallas Cowboys safety Jeff Heath. Lockette lost consciousness immediately and lay prone on the field while Seahawks teammates and medical personnel rushed to his side.
Lockette suffered ligament damage as well as disc issues to his back, and as of 3:45 p.m. PT has entered the fifth hour of surgery. It is an elongated procedure due to the area of the injury and it could take longer into the evening for it to be completed. Due to the nature of the injury, there is also no early prognosis that doctors can give his family or friends about what he might be like after the procedure.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll spoke at length on the injury and Ricardo Lockette, noting how valuable he is to this Seattle Seahawks team. Described by one player as “the heart of the team,” it underscores how valuable he is both on and off the field.
“He really got pounded and it affected him in a lot of ways, so he had to get through that in the first three or four minutes, which he did.He’s an amazing kid, too. We just love the guy. He’s such a wonderful guy on our team. We’ve watched him grow up with us and he’s just part of the fabric of all of us, so it just hit very heavy.”
This injury and the resulting surgery likely dictates that Ricardo Lockette will miss the rest of the NFL season. It’s also possible that the nature of the injury could bring his NFL career to an end, but it is too early to do more than speculate about that. For now, Seahawks players and fans are praying for his quick record and that he emerges from the surgery in good health.