SEATTLE — Seahawks guard James Carpenter’s season has ended early for the second consecutive year.

The former first-round pick left Sunday’s game after feeling pain in the knee that was seriously injured a year ago. On Tuesday, he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list, according to the team’s announcement. There was no explanation as to why Carpenter was placed on that list instead of injured reserve, which is where a player is placed after suffering an injury in a game.

Carpenter, chosen No. 25 overall in 2011 out of Alabama, started at right tackle last season before suffering a severe knee injury last November. He missed the first three games of this season as he continued his recovery. He missed two games in November with a concussion, and wasn’t able to finish either of the last two games.

Coach Pete Carroll indicated Monday that Carpenter was experiencing pain in the same knee that was hurt last year. He was replaced by John Moffitt after the first series of Sunday’s game in Chicago.

“He felt a little sharp pain in the game that didn’t go away,” Carroll said. “He has overcome so much and he’s done such a tremendous job to get to this point that he has just been busting through, but something did pop up here that bothered him enough where he couldn’t finish the game.”

The Seahawks made no further clarification of Carpenter’s status in Tuesday’s announcement.

Seattle added guard Rishaw Johnson to take Carpenter’s spot, promoting him from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Johnson was an undrafted free agent this year.

The Seahawks also released receiver Braylon Edwards with a waived/injured designation. Edwards was a former first-round pick who was signed during training camp.

He appeared in 10 games, catching eight passes. He nearly had a touchdown reception in Sunday’s game only to have it overruled on replay review.

Edwards’ knee swelled up unexpectedly before Seattle’s game at Detroit in Week 8, and the fact he was let go with the injured designation indicates he wasn’t totally healthy.

Letting Edwards go also speaks to the effectiveness of starters Golden Tate and Sidney Rice, who have each caught seven touchdown passes this season. Seattle also has Doug Baldwin, Charly Martin and Jermaine Kearse on the 53-man roster.

Rice will be evaluated this week after absorbing a big hit on the game’s final play, which appeared to knock him out for at least a moment after he scored the winning touchdown. Carroll was careful to not state Rice was diagnosed as a concussion, but he did say that Rice will follow the same clearance procedure as a player who did suffer a concussion before he is cleared to resume playing this week.

“We want to be very careful and make sure we know what we’re doing so he’ll go through the whole sequence of tests and stuff,” Carroll said. “Probably, we will determine on Wednesday where he is, and for Thursday’s practice.”

Rice will have to be evaluated before practicing, will be limited in his first day back during workouts and will be cleared for full practice only if no concussion symptoms return.

Linebacker Leroy Hill (ankle) may return after missing last week’s game. Carroll said he wouldn’t be surprised if cornerback Marcus Trufant is not ready to return after suffering a pulled hamstring last week.