Colby Parkinson, Cedric Ogbuehi Return to Practice as Seahawks Prep For 49ers
Gearing up for Sunday's Week 4 contest against the 49ers, the Seahawks welcomed back reinforcements along the offensive line and at tight end on Wednesday.
With both players eligible to practice after missing three games on injured reserve, Seattle designated tight end Colby Parkinson and tackle Cedric Ogbuehi to return. Both players have yet to be added to the 53-man roster and the team has up to three weeks to make a decision to activate them.
According to coach Pete Carroll, who met with reporters on Wednesday, both Parkinson and Ogbuehi will have a shot at playing in Santa Clara with a good week of practice.
"Those guys have worked really hard. They're going to try to compete to be available to play and we'll see how that goes," Carroll said. "One day at a time, I can't tell you any more than that. Both those guys are really ready to go mentally and now we have to see how they look and how they fit in."
Parkinson's return from a broken foot suffered in training camp could not have come at a better time for the Seahawks. The team placed starting tight end Gerald Everett on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday and his status for this weekend remains uncertain.
Prior to re-injuring his foot in mid-August, the 6-foot-7 Parkinson was turning in a spectacular camp and has the potential to be an exciting addition to Seattle's passing attack in coordinator Shane Waldron's offense, especially if Everett misses a game or two. His size and soft hands should make him an instant red zone weapon for quarterback Russell Wilson if healthy.
The Seahawks will also happily welcome back Ogbuehi, who started four games in place of Brandon Shell at right tackle last year and could be in line to replace him on Sunday as Shell continues to nurse an ankle injury. Last week in Minnesota, the team started Jamarco Jones in his absence and undrafted rookie Jake Curhan also saw his first NFL regular season snaps at the position.
Two other players eligible to come off injured reserve this week - cornerbacks Tre Brown and Nigel Warrior - aren't quite ready to practice yet per Carroll. He didn't give a timeline for Warrior, but indicated Brown could start practicing next week as he works back from a sprained knee.
"Not yet for Tre. Looking towards next week to start his return," Carroll said.
In additional injury-related news, Carroll said rookie receiver Dee Eskridge wouldn't practice on Wednesday as he finishes clearing through concussion protocol, but his prognosis looks good for playing this weekend after missing the past two games.
"He had a fantastic weekend of returning and he feels great. We think he’s going to be ready to go, we don’t see any reason that he’s not. We are very positive because of what he’s been through to get to this, but this is part of the staging of it, you have to wait one more day to get onto the field.”
After sitting out last Sunday's game with a neck issue, defensive end Benson Mayowa returned to practice on Wednesday and should be good to go for this weekend. The same can't be said for running back Rashaad Penny, who the team is being cautious with as he tries to overcome a calf strain that has bothered him since training camp. Carroll doesn't expect him to play against the 49ers and he remains week-to-week.
"He’s running, he’s working hard but he’s just not quite there with all of the football moves that he needs to do to show that he can stay. He can come out and play right now but we want to make sure that he can stay part of it. We don’t want to put him out there where he could be vulnerable. We are going to air on the side of caution in that regard, we want him back for good."
