"It was almost a year ago that Patrick Kerney unleashed a relentless rampage that didn't end until he had a NFC-leading 14½ sacks and had finished second in the voting for NFL defensive player of the year.

There will be no such surge for the Pro Bowl defensive tackle this season.

Kerney was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, when it was decided it's better to get him fully healed for next season rather than trying to rush him back into the lineup in this 2-8 season.

Kerney said another MRI exam Tuesday revealed the shoulder is not healing properly.

"You can get angry about it, you can get sad about it, but it's not going to heal your shoulder any faster," Kerney said. "You take it for what it's worth. Now my job is to get better and get stronger for next season."

Kerney had a "clean-out" procedure on his surgically repaired left shoulder two weeks ago and missed the past three games.

But he still leads the Seahawks with five sacks.

The new question: Who supplies the pass rush now?

Darryl Tapp and rookie Lawrence Jackson remain the starters at defensive end for Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins at Qwest Field, but they have combined for four sacks in 10 games.

Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane and pass-rushing linebacker Julian Peterson have four sacks each this season, but the team has generated only five in the past three games.

Rookie defensive end Brandon Miller was claimed off waivers Wednesday to fill Kerney's roster spot. But he spent the first 10 weeks of the season on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad and then did not play Sunday after being signed to the Falcons' 53-man roster last week."