Darrell Taylor 'Running Out of Time' to Return to Action for Seahawks
While the Seahawks still won't rule out Darrell Taylor being activated before the end of the regular season, coach Pete Carroll knows the clock is ticking for the rookie defensive end to return to action.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Carroll indicated Taylor is nearing the end of a recent treatment where he received an injection in his surgically repaired leg. If he's going to suit up at all before the season concludes three weeks from now, he will have to get back on the practice field next week.
"We're really running out of time," Carroll responded. "Next week is really the last shot for us to get a chance [for him to practice]. He'll have to jump out then."
After producing an SEC-best 8.0 sacks as a senior at Tennessee while playing with a stress fracture, Taylor had a titanium rod inserted into his leg back in January to help the bone heal. The Seahawks met with him for a pre-draft meeting shortly before the NFL halted prospect visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the medical staff was encouraged by his progress.
With that positive assessment, Seattle decided to trade up to the New York Jets in April's draft, acquiring the No. 48 overall pick in exchange for a second-round pick and third-round pick to select the athletic pass rusher.
Unfortunately, Taylor has had numerous setbacks since opening training camp on the Non-Football Injury list. Towards the end of camp, after initially being optimistic about his chances of returning early in the regular season, Carroll indicated he would likely stay on the NFI list to continue his rehab and miss a minimum of six games.
Once he became eligible to be activated, Seattle hoped Taylor would be able to return at some point early in the second half. But again, his recovery didn't progress as hoped and he continued to deal with discomfort, leading to the decision to seek a second opinion and ultimately start injection therapy less than two weeks ago.
Now, with just three games left to play, Taylor's chances of seeing the field at all this season seem to dwindle by day. Nonetheless, the ever-positive Carroll kept the door open for him to potentially return for the finale against the 49ers or even make his team debut in the playoffs if deemed ready to play.
"I don't mean to give you any hope at this point other than we just gotta wait and see," Carroll said. "But it's not too late. Fortunately, we might have some more games to play. We'd love to have him available."
