Seattle Seahawks tight end Zach Miller was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday due to an ankle injury. He will be out for the rest of the season.
According to ESPN, Miller had minor ankle surgery back in September. He was expected to return in a couple of weeks after the surgery, however Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said on Wednesday that Miller will need another surgery to fix his ankle.
"It didn't respond the way we had hoped," Carroll said. "He's going to need some more things done. I talked to him this morning about it. He's pretty matter-of-fact about it. It's been a long process and he just wasn't close to getting back. The doctors were hoping to not have to do a really big surgery so he could get back this year. It just isn't that way. They'll have to do the final work and get him ready for next year."
Miller has played in just three games this season. This season will be the first time in his eight year NFL career that he hasn’t played at least 14 games. In those three games this season, he had six receptions for 76 yards, according to Sports Illustrated. Last year, Miller had 36 receptions, which was the fourth most on the team.
Carroll said that both backup tight ends, Luke Wilson and Cooper Helfet, could play on Sunday. However, both have minor injuries. Wilson has a sprained ankle and Helfet has a sore knee. The Seahawks added depth to the tight end position on Tuesday by re-signing rookie tight end RaShaun Allen. Allen could fill in for Miller along with Wilson and Helfet.
Miller is the second Seahawks player to go on the IR. Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane was put on the IR on Tuesday due to a torn hamstring. The Seahawks are currently 6-3 and are two games behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.