ATLANTA -- The Seattle Seahawks believe that center Justin Britt suffered a season-ending knee injury Sunday.
Britt will undergo an MRI. He went down in obvious pain on the opening drive of the Seahawks' 27-20 win over the Falcons and didn't return. The Fox broadcast showed Britt somberly embracing fellow offensive linemen before walking to the locker room on his own power.
Coach Pete Carroll said the injury "looks like an ACL."
"We'll know more, but it looks like he's got something that's going to keep him out," Carroll said. "We'll see what happens."
Joey Hunt replaced Britt on Sunday. With Ethan Pocic on injured reserve, Hunt is the only player on the Seahawks' 53-man roster with experience at center. Seattle was carrying only eight offensive linemen, so Britt's injury will necessitate a move there. The Seahawks expect rookie fourth-round pick Phil Haynes to come off the physically unable to perform list at some point.
The NFL's trade deadline is Tuesday.
Hunt has made three starts since the Seahawks drafted him in the sixth round out of TCU in 2016.
"Joey's been preparing for this opportunity forever," Carroll said. "He's been a great worker and a total team guy. He'll do a really good job filling the spot. Really smart guy, and he's ready to go. He'll fill in just like our guys do."
Left tackle Duane Brown also mentioned Hunt's intelligence while complimenting the job he did communicating to the rest of the offensive line Sunday. The Seahawks ran for 151 yards against Atlanta, with 130 coming in the first half. Russell Wilson was sacked twice.
"Joey's a smart player," Brown said. "He's very engaged in the meetings. He's always prepared to step in no matter what. In this league, you have to be. So it was good. He's on top of everything."
Hunt and Britt had a brief exchange as Britt was leaving the field after his injury.
"I went up to him, hugged him, told him I loved him," Hunt said. "He told me he loves me, too. Told me I got this. That's always been Justin. It's just great to hear that before you're going out there."
Britt has been the Seahawks' starting center since 2016, finding a permanent home there after bouncing from right tackle as a rookie in 2014 to left guard in 2015. He's under contract through 2020 as part of a three-year, $27 million extension he signed in 2017.
However, he's scheduled to make $8.25 million in base salary next year while counting $11.67 million against the salary cap. That's the third-highest cap number among centers for 2020 behind Rodney Hudson and Travis Frederick, according to Spotrac.
"It sucks, man," Brown said of Britt's injury. "Justin is our brother. He's a big, big part of our team, our offensive line, a leader and part of the foundation for this team. I'm praying for him for a speedy recovery. We're going to miss him out there, but Joey Hunt is a capable player. He's going to step in and do a good job."