Seahawks | Chris Spencer could miss remaining four games

RENTON — Another Seahawks starter is possibly lost for the season because of injury, and so it goes for the local NFL team.

Center Chris Spencer, who missed Thursday's game at Dallas with a back injury, apparently has a disk problem. It cost him practice time and the game last week and practice time the previous week, and now it could land him on injured reserve.

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck dealt with a bulging disk that, along with a knee injury that was a by-product of the back problem, cost him five games earlier this season. Seattle has four games left in the regular season, so it's possible Spencer wouldn't be able to return if his back injury is similar.

Team doctors gave Spencer an epidural shot hoping to ease the swelling and pain, but as of Monday, his condition hadn't improved much.

"We'll have to revisit that in a couple days and see where he is," coach Mike Holmgren said. "If it's going to be one of those things where they say it's a little like Matt's, I suppose, as far as timing, we only have four games left. If that's the case, then we have to bring in another player."

Steve Vallos played center at Dallas and will start against the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Spencer, the Seahawks' first-round draft pick in 2005, has had trouble with his back as early as training camp. He missed almost all of camp but still started every game in the regular season until last week. Spencer has also had two shoulder surgeries and a thumb operation.

Asked to evaluate Spencer's play this season, Holmgren didn't go out of his way to praise his player.

"I believe he is a good football player, but he's been very, very unlucky, and a little bit injury-prone so far in his career," Holmgren said. "And offensive linemen, the great offensive linemen, they play. They're playing. They play all the time. Those are the guys that have, other than [Brett] Favre, consecutive game streaks and all that kind of stuff. Particularly centers."

The Seahawks are also facing another game without left guard Mike Wahle, who has missed the past two games with a right shoulder injury. Wahle's injury is more of a week-to-week situation, Holmgren said, but because the shoulder didn't respond to treatment last week, Wahle is another, albeit less likely, candidate for injured reserve.

"Each time you lose a starter, lose a guy you're counting on, it just makes everybody else's job tough," Hasselbeck said. "We're living proof of it this year with the amount of starters who have missed practice time and games. We look like a totally different team."

Frustration mounts

After the game in Dallas, Seahawks players questioned the defensive signal-calling and why they weren't asked to put more pressure on Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo earlier in the game, when Dallas got off to a fast start on offense.

Holmgren said he wasn't aware that players had openly grumbled about the situation and thus did not address the situation with the team Monday. But he said such comments could have been made out of the frustration of a 2-10 season and a defense that has not generated turnovers like the Seattle defenses of recent years.

"The players care, though, which I like. They really do care," Holmgren said. "And in their mind, if they think a way is better, I think you have to listen to them a little bit. I believe that."

Notes

• LB Leroy Hill's injured shoulder from last week's game is still bothering him, leaving his status for Sunday in doubt.

• LT Walter Jones won't practice much this week but is expected to play in the game.

• S C.J. Wallace and DT Red Bryant have missed the past few weeks with injuries but could return this week.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com