Could the Seahawks get back two sidelined starters, including a star of their training camp, to play in the opener?
Rookie wide receiver Tory Horton was doing conditioning drills at the end of practice Monday, a practice starting linebacker Tyrice Knight participated in. That’s the first time either has been on the field except watching in two weeks.
Coach Mike Macdonald said following practice the Seahawks have “projected” Horton and Knight will practice fully next week. That’s the first game week of the season, for the season opener Sept. 7 against San Francisco at Lumen Field.
“Tory...hasn’t practiced full. Ramping up to next week,” Macdonald said. “Projected to practice full sometime next week.
“So we’ll play it by ear going into the game.”
Seattle’s fifth-round draft choice missed the final three months of his college career with a knee injury and surgery last October at Colorado State. He was limited in offseason practices this spring.
Then he wowed in training camp this month.
Horton showed speed, dependable hands and the ability to expertly run routes deep, intermediate and short against the Seahawks’ starting secondary, the team’s strength. Starting quarterback Sam Darnold began trusting the rookie wide receiver. He threw to him more. Horton kept catching passes. He rose above veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling to become the third wide receiver in the starting offense, with Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Horton scored his first NFL touchdown in his first pro game, the preseason opener Aug. 7 against Las Vegas.
But he sprained his ankle catching a short pass and running to the sideline in the second preseason game, Aug. 15 against Kansas City. He’s hasn’t practiced since.
There was a thought as he missed his second week of practices Horton may have to begin the season on injured reserve designated to return in as soon as four weeks of the regular season. But Macdonald saying Horton is projected to practice next week would seem to end that idea.
Tyrice Knight’s status
Knight emerged last season as a rookie fourth-round pick to starter at weakside inside linebacker. He was part of Macdonald’s remake of his defense in the middle of the season.
Knight was starting next to middle linebacker Ernest Jones again to begin training camp in late July. But he has missed all August and each of the three preseason games with an undisclosed medical condition that came up this month. It does not appear to be directly related to an on-field football injury.
Patrick O’Connell first and recently Drake Thomas have started at weakside linebacker in Knight’s absence. Macdonald praised Thomas specifically Saturday in Green Bay and O’Connell and Thomas Monday for how they’ve played filling in.
Asked about the possibility Knight plays in the opener against the 49ers, the head coach said: “Tyrice, let’s see him practice a full practice first before we start kind of making projections toward the game.
“But he’s projected to practice next week, full. And we’ll see how that goes.”
The coach said “it’s not ideal” that Knight has missed most of this month and had to rely on “mental reps” only studying film and watching practices of Seattle’s tricky, changing defense.
Macdonald made it sound as if Knight had a serious condition that he and the team feel lucky has passed.
“We’re fortunate that it’s nothing more, not more serious, and he’s available to us,” the coach said. “So in a way, we’re blessed that we’re going to possibly have him next week, and then it’s something that we are not going to losing him long term — which would scary.”
Knight could be restricted to a maximum number of plays when he does come back. Or he could be full go to play the entire game first time out. That’s what the team’s training and medical staff hope to determine next week.
“Everything’s on the table,” Macdonald said.
Uchenna Nwosu progressing
Uchenna Nwosu is off the physically-unable-to-perform list he was on all training camp following offseason knee surgery.
He was doing more at the start of practice Monday than he did on the side before the joint practice the Seahawks had in Green Bay Thursday.
Nwosu told The News Tribune in the locker room at Lambeau Field Saturday he feels good and the workouts he’s had since he passed his physical last week have gone well.
Macdonald said last week the Seahawks believe their starting outside linebacker and edge rusher could play as early as September, if not the opener.
“Yeah, he’s on the progression,” Macdonald said Monday. “You think about ‘Chenna, we’re going to have to be the ones that we’re being responsible here in handling it, because he’s always going to be mentally ready to do more.
“That’s just the type of guy he is.”
Macdonald was asked whether he has any better idea if Nwosu will be able to play week one.
“No, I don’t,” the head coach said. “It’s just...let’s see how it goes. We’re still two weeks away.
“He looks great. He’s in great spirits. We’re on the progression. But we’ve got to play it day by day at this point.