Carroll: Rawls will be ready for Seahawks’ season opener
Published 5:30 pm Wednesday, August 24, 2016
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
RENTON — Thomas Rawls will be ready to go for the Seattle Seahawks’ season opener.
Rawls, Seattle’s projected No. 1 running back, is recovering from a broken ankle and ligament damage that ended his 2015 season and wiped out his offseason. However, Rawls is back practicing at full speed, and on Wednesday Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that Rawls will be back in time for Seattle’s Sept. 11 season opener at home against the Miami Dolphins.
“Thomas looks really good, all I call tell you is he looks great, and I have no hesitation telling you he’s going to play in the opener,” Carroll said. “I have no hesitation saying that.”
Carroll said Rawls won’t play in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at CenturyLink Field, and the jury’s still out about whether he’ll appear in the preseason finale next Thursday at Oakland.
But with Rawls returning, and with Christine Michael looking good during the preseason, the Seahawks appear set to have a potent 1-2 punch at running back for the start of the season.
Injury update
Several Seahawks who have been out injured will return to action Thursday. That group includes strong safety Kam Chancellor (groin), defensive tackle Jordan Hill (groin), tackle J’Marcus Webb (knee) and running back C.J. Prosise (hamstring). For each of those players it will be their first action in the preseason.
Also expected to play are guard Germain Ifedi and fullback Will Tukuafu. Ifedi sat out practice Tuesday because of an oblique issue, but should be ready to go Thursday. Tukuafu was just re-signed earlier this week.
Defensive tackle Jarran Reed (toe) and tight end Nick Vannett (ankle), who both left last Thursday’s 18-11 loss to Minnesota because of injuries, will not play Thursday, though Carroll said both are progressing. Receiver Kasen Williams (hamstring) will also miss the game.
For more on the Seattle sports scene, check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/tag/seattle-sidelines, or follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
