Seahawks CB Tre Flowers Returning, RB Carlos Hyde Questionable vs. 49ers in Week 17

After missing the past four games with a hamstring injury, the Seahawks are expected to activate cornerback Tre Flowers from injured reserve to play against the 49ers in Sunday's Week 17 finale.

Designated to return to practice last week, Flowers was held out of Seattle's 20-9 win over the Los Angeles Rams last weekend. But after making it through this week without any hiccups, the third-year defender should be ready to suit up and will likely be the third outside cornerback behind starters Shaquill Griffin and D.J. Reed.

"He had a great week of practice and he's ready to play," coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Friday.

While Flowers should play for the first time since a Week 12 win against the Eagles, Greg Olsen will be held out for precautionary reasons due to a sore foot. The veteran tight end remarkably returned just one month after tearing the plantar fascia in his left foot to play against the Rams last Sunday, catching one pass for 15 yards on 12 offensive snaps.

If Sunday was a playoff game, Olsen would likely try to play, but the Seahawks want to ensure a "tweak" in the foot doesn't become something more with an NFC West title already locked up.

"We just want to make sure it doesn't develop and go past that," Carroll commented. "So we were real careful with him this week, got him a little bit of work today, and so we think if we give him all the way to [next] Wednesday, we'll be able to help him."

Without Olsen available, rookie Colby Parkinson should be active after being a healthy scratch in Week 16. Veteran Luke Willson, who re-signed to the practice squad earlier this week, could also be elevated for game day if necessary.

In other injury-related news, tackle Brandon Shell wasn't listed on the initial final injury report after not playing any offensive snaps the past two weeks due to a high ankle sprain. However, due to close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, he did not practice on Friday and he now is listed as questionable for Sunday's game.

"He had a really good week," Carroll said, "He's tested negative and all that, but we're just monitoring it to make sure he's okay, so he wasn't out today. That's a developing situation we have to figure out."

For now, per Carroll, Shell hasn't been placed on the COVID-19/reserve list. If he's unable to play, Cedric Ogbuehi would earn his third straight start at right tackle against the 49ers.

In the backfield, running back Carlos Hyde hasn't practiced at all this week due to a non-COVID-19 illness. Carroll indicated the team would check in on him on Saturday to see if he will be able to play and he's listed as questionable.

After missing a pair of starts, guard Mike Iupati was also listed as questionable. Carroll did not provide an update on his status but he didn't practice on Friday and if he remains sidelined due to a neck stinger, Jordan Simmons will make another start at left guard for the Seahawks.

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