RENTON — The Seattle Seahawks promoted quarterback B.J. Daniels off of their practice squad Monday, filling a spot that opened with receiver Paul Richardson going on injured reserve because of a knee injury.
The question now is whether or not the Seahawks also promoted running back, receiver and kick returner B.J. Daniels.
While Daniels is listed as a quarterback, the position he played at the University of South Florida, he has practiced in recent weeks without the red jersey usually worn by quarterbacks to protect them from contact.
And Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, perhaps to get the attention of the Green Bay Packers, was much more forthcoming about this roster move than he usually would be.
“We’re really excited to do that,” Carroll said of promoting Daniels. “He’s been a guy that’s been impressive to us all year long. It’s a classic opportunity to reward a guy that’s just been competing his butt off. He’s going to help us in a number of spots. Of course he’s the third quarterback, but we’ll also see this week how he works to fit in on special teams.
“He’s a backup returner for us, he can play running back and wide receiver as well. He’s been doing that all year, so he’s a very versatile guy for us to bring to life right now. More than anything it’s great to reward a guy that’s competed so consistently and so hard for us, so I’m excited to do that.”
More often than not if the Seahawks are preparing to make an injury-related roster move, Carroll gives an answer along the lines of “We’ll let you know later in the week” if asked about what move is coming.
So the fact that he outlined so many potential options for his team’s athletic No. 3 quarterback could be a bit of gamesmanship in the buildup to the NFC championship game against the Packers.
Coincidentally, the Seahawks have used an athletic backup quarterback in a non-traditional role in the NFC championship game before, with Seneca Wallace catching pass from Matt Hasselbeck against the Panthers nine years ago.
Daniels, a seventh-round pick by San Francisco in 2013, spent part of last season on Seattle’s active roster before eventually landing on the practice squad.
As for Richardson’s injury, Carroll noted that the rookie receiver has more than just a clean ACL tear, saying, “There’s a little bit of other stuff in there too. It’s a complicated issue. It wasn’t like the worst ever, but there’s some complications in there, they’ll take some time to figure out what’s next about it.”
Even in a best case-scenario, ACL injuries take anywhere from six to nine months to heal, and considering this is Richardson’s second tear of the same ACL, and that there are other issues in his knee, according to Carroll, it’s very likely this will affect his availability for the start of next season as well.
With Richardson out, fellow rookie Kevin Norwood will take on a bigger role, though Carroll said it won’t be as simple as just plugging Norwood into Richardson’s role.
“It’ll call for Kevin Norwood to step up, which is another good call for us, we’re excited to see him play,” Carroll said. “He’ll do a really good job, we totally trust that he knows what’s going on and can make the plays. They’re (Richardson and Norwood) a little different in style, but we think he’s going to be a very effective player. We just haven’t seen a lot of him so that you would know that, but we’re OK about that.”
With Richardson out, the Seahawks also need a new kick returner, but Carroll gave no indication of who will take over, saying, “You’ll have to wait and see.”
Doug Baldwin and Bryan Walters have both returned kicks in the past, so they would seem the most obvious replacements, though perhaps Carroll’s mention of Daniels could mean he’s an option too.
Unger and Maxwell on track to play
Carroll said cornerback Byron Maxwell “seems fine today” after missing Saturday’s game due to illness.
“I checked in with the trainers, and it seems like he’s recovered. He just had a bad, whatever it was, I don’t know, he had some issues. But he’s OK now.”
It’s also good news on center Max Unger, who left with an ankle injury late in the game.
“He looks good,” Carroll said. ‘I think he’s come out OK. We were very fortunate on that one.”
Carroll said tight end Tony Moeaki should be back after missing Saturday’s game with a calf injury. The status of safety Jeron Johnson (elbow) remains up in the air, Carroll said.
Controversial call was heartbreaking, and correct
If not for one of the most controversial officiating decisions of this NFL season, the Seahawks might be hosting the Cowboys this weekend. But what at first looked like a spectacular fourth-down catch by Dallas receiver Dez Bryant was overturned, helping Green Bay secure a victory. Like anyone else watching the game, Carroll had an opinion on the call.
“I think it was a heartbreaking, proper call,” Carroll said. “In the old days, that catch would have just gone on and nobody would have talked about it, but technology caught it. That ball hit the ground and it moved. So I can see why they said it because you have to complete that catch. It’s a difficult pill to swallow I’m sure. But it was just a week ago where it kind of flipped, so you never know.’
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com
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