Why Return of Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett vs. Jets Could Be 'Remarkable Story'
Less than two weeks removed from surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand, Tyler Lockett appears to be trending towards playing for the Seattle Seahawks against the New York Jets in Sunday's critical Week 17 matchup at Lumen Field.
Chatting with reporters prior to the team's first practice of the week, coach Pete Carroll indicated Lockett "did everything" during Seattle's walkthrough earlier on Wednesday, including catching passes without any issues. While his status remains up in the air for this weekend, he's well ahead of schedule and shockingly may miss just one game due to the injury.
"He looked great, throwing and catching," Carroll said, adding. "This is a remarkable story, now. He's not even wavering."
Only a few days after he suffered the injury, Lockett underwent surgery on December 19 and hours following the procedure, Carroll said doctors suggested the star receiver could return quickly, potentially as early as Week 17. But all along, such a timeline seemed somewhat unrealistic, particularly at a position reliant on hands to catch the football.
However, even with linebacker Jordyn Brooks admitting Lockett's hand was swollen when the two spoke on Wednesday, he expects to see No. 16 on the field and back in uniform as the Seahawks aim to keep their slim playoff hopes alive on Sunday.
Assuming he doesn't have a setback as the week progresses, Lockett's return should provide a major boost to Seattle's passing game against New York's top-five ranked scoring defense. Sitting out only the third game of his career in a 24-10 loss to Kansas City last Saturday, quarterback Geno Smith struggled without his reliable security blanket available, as DK Metcalf and Laquon Treadwell were the only receivers with more than two receptions.
As pointed out by Carroll, the Seahawks missed Lockett's presence the most moving the chains on third down with the team converting on only two out of 14 opportunities at Arrowhead Stadium.
"We have to use the guys, use our guys well, and make sure that our guys make their plays," Carroll said of Seattle's third-down issues on Monday. "That's why it comes down to specifics of a guy who's a player like Tyler [Lockett]. We really build a lot of stuff around what he's capable of doing and how he reads things and makes the most of opportunities.”
Set to face off against Defensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Sauce Gardner and former teammate D.J. Reed, Lockett will have a chance to make history on Sunday. Only 36 yards away from hitting 1,000 yards for the season, he would join Hall of Famer Steve Largent as only the second player in Seahawks history to achieve the feat in four or more consecutive seasons.
If Lockett can somehow post a 100-yard outing against the Jets upon his return from injury, he would also tie Darrell Jackson for second all-time in franchise history with 19 games of 100 yards or more.
With several days until the game, the Seahawks don't have to make a decision on whether or not Lockett will play up until kickoff. And based on Carroll's comments, they will be slow playing the situation as the practice week unfolds. But he took a major step towards returning to action on Wednesday and all signs point to Smith having his trusted target back at his disposal for a playoff push.
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