RENTON, Wash. -- Sidney Rice's season is being cut short.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll announced Wednesday that Rice would be placed on injured reserve after suffering two concussions within weeks of each other.
Carroll had already ruled Rice out for Thursday night's game against Philadelphia after Rice was injured in last week's game against Washington.
"We have to give him time, so he's going to have to sit for a number of weeks before he could play anyway, so we just want to make sure we take care of him, don't bring him back too soon and get him right," Carroll said. "He's been banged up all season, and this is just one more situation we have to deal with."
Rice has endured a season of injuries that started with a labrum injury in his shoulder during the preseason that caused him to miss the first two games. Rice suffered his first concussion less than three weeks ago against Baltimore and then was re-injured against the Redskins.
Rice was shut out last week against Washington for the first time since Dec. 21, 2008, against Atlanta. Rice was injured making a diving attempt at a pass across the middle. He got up visibly woozy and was helped to the sideline.
Carroll said that it was going to take a couple of weeks for Rice to be cleared from the concussion and that the more prudent move was sitting him down with just four games remaining. He added that Rice's head injuries are not career-threatening and will also allow more time for Rice to begin rehab work on his shoulder, which as of now does not require surgery.
"It's the right thing for us to do. He knows that. He just doesn't want to hear it. I told him yesterday, you know, sometimes somebody has got to step in and tell you what you would never decide," Carroll said. "We have to do that for him because as a competitor, there's no way he would step out right now."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
