Jamal Adams, Jordyn Brooks back to start Seahawks’ season? Pete Carroll says it’s possible
Jamal Adams is recovering from a tricky, major injury.
Jordyn Brooks is, too. His happened only 3 1/2 months ago.
They both could be back in their key roles centering the Seahawks’ defense in training camp this summer and throughout the 2023 season.
That was what coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday. It was his most optimistic assessment yet of Adams’ return from a torn quadriceps tendon that had him in a wheelchair last September and Brooks’ recovery from a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament in January.
“They’re doing well. The progress is being made. Their visits, I think it’s this week we’re getting with them again to make sure they’re making their progress,” Carroll said. “But everything is going fine so far. Very optimistic on their side.”
So optimistic, Brooks is talking about beating the typical recovery time from an ACL injury and surgery by multiple months. Those injuries usually take nine to 12 months of recovery and rehabilitation before a full return to playing.
The regular season begins in September.
It’s been no sure thing Adams is going to make it back in time for the first game. The strong safety was injured sacking Russell Wilson in the first half of Seattle’s win over Denver in the 2022 opener.
“They really think they’re going to make it,” Carroll said. “We’ll hold a good thought.
“They’re trying to make it for camp. That’s what they’re shooting for. They’re not resigning to the fact it’s going to take them past that, so they’ve got the right mindset at this point. We’ll see what happens.”
Asked for a timeline doctors may have given the team for the returns of Adams and Brooks, Carroll said: “It could happen. I mean, there’s some optimism that it could happen.
“We’ll be conservative through that time frame to make sure that we don’t screw it up by hurrying them along. But I’m wide open to...they think they can do it, so we’ll see what happens.”
What of Devin Bush, Julian Love?
Brooks replaced the departed Bobby Wagner at inside linebacker for Seattle last season. Then Brooks got hurt in the team’s home win over the New York Jets Jan. 1.
The Seahawks signed inside linebacker Devin Bush from Pittsburgh in free agency last month.
A week later, Seattle brought back Wagner after the six-time All-Pro’s one season away with the Los Angeles Rams.
With Brooks’ recovery and fellow 2022 starter Cody Barton gone and signed with Washington last month, Bush and Wagner have been the presumed starters at inside linebacker in the Seahawks’ 3-4 defense to begin next season. If Brooks comes back by September as he thinks he can, that’s three inside linebacker for two jobs.
Brooks was a weak-side linebacker outside next to Wagner his first two NFL seasons as Seattle’s first-round pick in 2020. So he could move to outside linebacker opposite returning 2022 sack leader Uchenna Nwosu in a front seven Carroll is revamping almost by the week this offseason.
That overhaul will continue next week in the NFL draft. Seattle has five of the first 83 picks.
In answering a question of how the team is going to fit a returning Brooks in with Wagner and Bush, Carroll mentioned Julian Love. Seattle signed the former New York Giants safety and captain last month to a two-year deal worth up to $12 million.
The Seahawks, well, love Love’s versatility. He’s played deep safety, close to the line like a linebacker against the run, inside as a fifth, nickel defensive back, all over in the NFL.
So how will Love fit with Adams returning to his usual pairing with Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs — on top of the Wagner, Bush, Brooks situation at linebacker?
“We’re going to do a great job of that. It’s going to be awesome,” Carroll said with a wry smile.
“We’ve got all kinds of plans, and we have some variables to deal with it really positive(ly). We’ve got guys with a lot of flexibility, and we love that, that we’re able to move some guys around.
“I think Julian coming in, you wonder how are you going to play him. We’ll figure that out. We’re excited about that. Jamal has been such a dynamic player in his variables that he brings. He’s opened us up, and we’re wide open to some different things that we can do. Julian is a very flexible football player.
“You guys might forget, but Quandre was a nickel coming up, and he’s (Love’s) got all of that background, too, so it’s going to be hard to tell what we’re doing with these guys for a while until we’ll get zeroed in -- the opponents will get zeroed in on us. But we’re really excited about the chance of putting it all together.”
Will Dissly’s status
Carroll gave a similarly sunny assessment of Will Dissly’s recovery. The starting tight end Seattle signed to a three-year, $24 million extension before last season. He had three touchdown catches from Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith in 15 games.
Then in December Dissly sustained what Carroll has called a rare knee injury the Seahawks hadn’t seen. He finished last season on injured reserve.
Dissly did not need surgery. The team thinks he may be back for the start of training camp the last week of July.
“Yeah, Will is doing really well. Will is doing well at this time,” Carroll said. “There was some question marks in that process for him, whether they were going to have to do surgery after they gave him a chance to recover.
“He’s recovered, so there’s no surgery in the near future.”
Dissly, 26, has had injuries shorten four of his five NFL seasons with Seattle. He is the only Seahawks tight end under contract for 2024. That leads to a future need at the position the team could address with one of their 10 choices in next week’s draft.
This story was originally published April 20, 2023 at 5:01 AM.
