KIRKLAND – When it comes to the Seattle Seahawks’ linebacking corps, the bye week couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
Four linebackers were sidelined during Tuesday’s practice, with Anthony Simmons as the only starter available to practice. The Seahawks went through a short, 60-minute session that was made up mostly of individual and passing drills.
Simmons, Niko Koutouvides and Solomon Bates were the only linebackers to take part in the passing sessions. Starting middle linebacker Orlando Huff and starting outside linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski worked in some individual drills, then stepped aside to rest minor muscle pulls.
Also sidelined were special teams standout Tracy White (concussion) and outside linebacker Chad Brown, who is expected to be out at least three more weeks after suffering a broken leg.
All but Brown are slated to be back next week and should be available for the Oct. 10 game against St. Louis.
Brown broke his left fibula on Aug. 23 and was expected to miss eight weeks. While that would put him somewhere around the Oct. 17 game at New England, Holmgren said Monday that it would be more realistic to expect Brown back for the Arizona game on Oct. 24 or the Carolina game on Oct. 31.
Brown, who is supposedly healing faster than expected, doesn’t want to project his return.
“I don’t want to put out a date publicly, or even to myself, because then if I don’t make it, I’ll be disappointed,” he said Monday. “The bone will heal when it heals. Normally these take around eight weeks, so you can do the math.”
While some Seahawks were disappointed that the bye week arrived when the team was riding such an emotional high, injuries to Seattle’s linebackers and fullback Mack Strong have left the team in need of an early break.
“Some of the guys are nicked up just a little bit,” Holmgren said. “This bye at this time gives us a chance for the injured guys to heal up. So it’s good.”
With a limited number of players available, the Seahawks went through a short practice Tuesday morning. They’ll return to the practice field today, then take four days off for the bye weekend.
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