Greg Olsen, Rashaad Penny impress at Seahawks practice, but two key starters miss again
Greg Olsen was doing hopping air squats and side steps to the quick-beat music blaring (again) over the sideline speakers.
It looked like the 35-year-old was trying out for Dancing With the Stars—not a few weeks removed from being carted off the field with a career-threatening foot injury.
Rashaad Penny was fully in step with Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, DeeJay Dallas and the running backs at the start of Thursday’s sunny, rare-outdoors-in-December practice.
But it wasn’t all sunny for the Seahawks.
Carlos Dunlap was still in a bucket hat watching practice. Not the optimal place for the team’s best pass-rushing defensive lineman to be three days before Seattle (9-4) plays at NFC East-leading Washington (6-7) with the chance to clinch a playoff spot.
Right tackle Brandon Shell walked with left guard Mike Iupati back inside the team facility for more treatment as practice was beginning. That meant 60% of the starting offensive line was missing; 35-year-old left tackle Duane Brown was getting his usual midweek day off.
Seattle listed Iupati as missing practice with “knee/neck/resting vet” and Brown talked to the media on a Zoom call before Thursday’s drills, suggesting both will play Sunday.
Shell is much less likely.
He’s yet to practice this week. He missed two games with a high-ankle sprain. Then he started last weekend against his former New York Jets and left after playing 29 of 73 plays. Chad Wheeler, signed from the practice squad the day before the game, had to play the other 60% of snaps against New York.
Olsen’s remarkable return
Olsen looked as active and fully participating as any Seahawk during the 20 minutes when the media was allowed to watch practice.
He was doing his own warm-up routine during stretching, among his teammates who looked far more sedate by comparison.
That could explain how the 35-year-old veteran has returned to practicing less than a month after he completely tore his plantar fascia, the connective bands between the heel and ball of the foot. He needed a cart to leave the field the night he got injured during Seattle’s home win over Arizona Nov. 19.
It looked that night like his 14-year career might be over.
Now he’s catching passes again on the practice field from Russell Wilson, running routes with fellow tight ends Will Dissly and Jacob Hollister like it’s August.
“It’s amazing that he’s worked his way back,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said.
“He’s looking good. We’ll see where that goes.”
Coach Pete Carroll said this week, rather coyly, “it’s possible” Olsen will play Sunday at Washington.
Olsen has 23 catches this season, his first with Seattle after a decade as a Super Bowl and Pro Bowl veteran with Carolina. Fifteen of his 23 receptions for the Seahawks have been for first downs.
His veteran savvy would come in handy for Seattle’s playoff push.
“He’s seen so much football,” Schottenheimer said, likening Olsen to having a coach in the huddle.
Penny had reconstructive knee surgery 12 months ago, following torn ligaments he got in a non-contact injury playing against the Rams in Los Angeles. The Seahawks’ first-round pick from 2018 looked as full go as Olsen at the start of Thursday’s practice.
“He looks terrific...fast, explosive,” Schottenheimer said.
“I think he’s getting close to be ready to go.”
Because Olsen, Penny and cornerback Quinton Dunbar (chronic knee injury) are still on injured reserve, and in Penny’s case the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list and not on the active roster, the Seahawks do not have to list them on the practice report.
Dunbar appeared to be less full go than Olsen and Penny in the first 20 minutes of the latest practice the media was permitted to watch.
In order for Olsen, Penny or Dunbar to be able to play at Washington, the team would have to add them back to the active roster by Saturday afternoon.
What if no Shell?
The Seahawks are likely on Friday to list Shell and Dunlap as questionable to play at Washington. That officially is supposed to mean a 50-50 chance.
Cedric Ogbuehi was back from a calf injury and practicing fully Thursday. He and Wheeler have struggled in pass protection of Russell Wilson while Shell has been out.
Shell’s availability is an issue for the Seahawks against rookie wonder Chase Young, fellow edge rusher Montez Sweat and Washington’s swarming pass rush, the strength of its team.
The Seahawks need Shell. For Sunday. For next weekend’s likely NFC West title game in Seattle against the Rams (9-4). And against the pass rushers the Seahawks will need to repel (Green Bay’s, New Orleans’, maybe Washington’s again) in the playoffs to reach the Super Bowl.
Shell signed a two-year, $11 million free-agent contract this spring. He came from the Jets. He replaced Seahawks former first-round pick Germain Ifedi as quarterback Russell Wilson’s frontside protector at right tackle.
The 6-foot-5, 324-pound Shell hasn’t just replaced Ifedi, he’s been a clear upgrade. Shell is quicker off the snap. He has played more athletically getting outside to speedy pass rushers, plus down the line and to the sideline on sweeps and pulling run blocks.
Near the end of the Seahawks’ wild win over Dallas in September, Shell stonewalled three different pass-rush moves on the same play by Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith, who had three sacks in the game. That gave Wilson more than 5 seconds to find DK Metcalf breaking free for the winning touchdown.
“He’s been really steady, strong, in the run game, in the pass game, assignment sound, accountable,” Carroll said.
“He’s in on everything, cares about everything.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 5:43 PM.
