Will Dissly wows Seahawks, passes physical; Rashaad Penny on PUP list, as expected
Will Dissly is wowing his trainers, Pete Carroll and just about everyone else who’s watched the relentless tight end bull through a shredded Achilles tendon.
So, really, it’s no surprise Dissly passed his training-camp physical.
The impressive former University of Washington Husky remains on track to begin the Seahawks’ 2020 season on time just over nine months after his second season-ending injury in as many years with Seattle.
Also no surprise: Rashaad Penny is getting a delayed start to training camp. Just as planned.
The Seahawks placed their number-two running back on the physically-unable-to-perform list as expected on Monday. Their first-round draft choice from 2018 continues to recover from reconstructive knee surgery he had in December.
Putting Penny on the PUP list now keeps Seattle’s roster options open for him into the regular season. Only players on the PUP list at the start of training camp are eligible to be on it to begin the season, and thus be roster exempt for the first six games.
The Seahawks had their first day of strength and conditioning work of camp Monday. It included running on the field at team headquarters in Renton. It was the first time the players have done that since January. The facilities for all NFL teams have been closed since mid-March by the COVID-19 virus and pandemic.
Dissly ruptured his Achilles in Seattle’s win at Cleveland in October. It’s a tricky injury with no consistent time frame for full recovery. So he isn’t likely to be doing much running or on-field work for a couple weeks.
Then again, the Seahawks are in no hurry to acclimate one of on quarterback Russell Wilson’s most trusted receivers back into the offense now, in early August, coming off a spring in which the team canceled all its offseason work for the players.
The Seahawks signed veteran Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen to a one-year contract worth $7 million to be their new lead tight end this year. They also brought back veteran tight end Luke Willson. Even while rookie tight end Colby Parkinson recovers from foot surgery in June and is on the non-football-injury list, the Seahawks don’t need to rush Dissly back into the offense.
“Will had an incredible offseason,” Carroll said during an online Zoom call Monday.
Carroll said the trainers who worked with Dissly on his rehabilitation in Los Angeles were as awed as the coach at Dissly’s fiendish work.
“The group that he worked out with told me that he had nine months with them, he spent nine months working out on a real rigid schedule, and he didn’t miss one minute of one day in nine straight months,” Carroll said. “They said they’ve never seen anybody do that before.
“And the benefits of it is that he comes in passes his physical. So we’re thrilled about Will’s process.”
It’s similar to how he stormed back from a season-ending knee injury and reconstructive surgery during his rookie season in 2018.
“Then again, because of the way he has been, I’m not surprised that somebody would say that he’s been the hardest worker, the most diligent, grittiest guys that they’ve ever seen come through the program,” Carroll said.
“That that means that we’ll still take care of Will as we start camp, but he did pass his physical. We’ll look after him to make sure that we don’t come along too fast. Will’s a really great product of learning in the system and all that. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll be a factor as soon as we cut him loose.
“But in the meantime, we want to make sure to take care of him. He did everything a guy could possibly do, so we’re thrilled about his process.”
The process for Penny will be slower. He got hurt two months after Dissly did, in a non-contact injury during Seattle’s loss at the Los Angeles Rams in December.
“He’s coming in on Thursday,” Carroll said of Penny. “We didn’t think we needed to rush him in because he’s still rehabbing. He’ll come in Thursday for Friday, and he’ll start his process of reconnecting with us on Friday…
“We’re anxious to get back. He’s working out really hard the reports are really strong that he’s doing well, but we have not had him in our building for a while now. So this will be our first chance.”
The Seahawks have Chris Carson returning from a season-ending hip injury, also in December.
The fact their leading running back did not need surgery, and the lesser severity of his injury, puts Carson far ahead of Penny and Dissly in returning.
Carson, who has rushed for more than 2,300 yards total the last two seasons, is not on any injury lists to begin camp. The Seahawks expect him to be full go for the opening game at Atlanta next month.
As insurance for Penny during his recovery, the Seahawks signed Carlos Hyde to a one-year contract last season. The veteran is coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career last year, for Houston.
Hyde acknowledged months ago Carson is the lead back, and that he, Hyde, is in Seattle as insurance on the second team.
“It’s probably an open competition for that second role. I don’t think—me, personally—I don’t think there’s probably an open competition for the starting role,” Hyde said in June.
“I think everybody knows who the starting running back is for Seattle. And that’s Carson.
“I knew that before I even signed with Seattle, that he was the guy.”
