Carroll also offered updates on K.J. Wright and others as the Seahawks began preparations for Sunday's game against the 49ers.
Richard Sherman returning to Seattle for the first time since his release last spring is the big news this week.
But that wasn’t the only news on Wednesday.
Here are other highlights of what Pete Carroll had to say during his weekly Wednesday news conference.
DOUG BALDWIN ‘FEELS REALLY GOOD’
Maybe you’ve heard that before recently. Baldwin, recall, was said by Carroll last week to be feeling as well as he has all season before then showing up on the injury report with a pulled groin, listed questionable to play and then needing to pass the test during a pregame workout to get the OK to play.
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But Baldwin recovered well enough to play his usual 90 percent of the snaps in Sunday’s win at Carolina and Carroll said Wednesday that Baldwin should be good to go this week.
“I told him today that I’m not going to say this is the best he’s felt because I said that last week and something happened with his groin,’’ Carroll said. “He feels really good. That was amazing what he did last week. For the groin strain that he had, to play in a game like that and play at high level, there ain’t many people can do stuff like that. Anybody that understands, that injury, in particular as a sprinter kind of athlete. I don’t know how he did it. Doctors don’t know how he did it either, he just did it. In a sense, I don’t want to make anything out of this more than it should be, but it was a heroic effort by him just to want to play and then to prove it that he could on gameday and then to go out and play liked crazy — he played a beautiful game. He had five catches or something. I think he’s doing great. Unfortunately missed him by an inch for the touchdown — would’ve been a big play for us in the game. Other than that, he played a beautiful game. That wasn’t him, Russ (Wilson) missed the throw.”
Baldwin sat out Wednesday with the groin injury but it’s assumed that was a rest day.
CARROLL GAVE A DIPLOMATIC ANSWER ABOUT THAT ‘PICK PLAY’
If you thought that maybe Carolina could have been called for offensive pass interference on a 2-yard TD pass to Christian McCaffrey in the fourth quarter — a score that put the Panthers ahead 27-20 — so did the Seahawks, who thought it could have been deemed an illegal pick.
Carroll said Wednesday the Seahawks sent the play in to the NFL but that the NFL said it was not a penalty. The tone of Carroll’s answer suggested he disagreed with that. But he also said the explanation was helpful in allowing the Seahawks to know what the NFL does and does not consider a penalty.
“We did talk about that at length and we submitted it again just to see what would happen,’’ Carroll said. “They just didn’t see it the way we see it. The interpretation was that there wasn’t any act that singled it out. So many guys hit at the same time, it kind of wrecked our chances of getting the pick call because we ran into ourselves as well as they ran into us. If it happens again, they are going to call it the same way according to the league. We have to avoid that happening by avoiding the collision. There was some design to the play that allowed it to potentially be a penalty play, but it didn’t come out that way.”
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN IS ‘BATTLING’ JUST LIKE THE SEAHAWKS HOPED
Griffin has been beaten on a few notable plays the last few weeks, including a defensive pass interference that set up a touchdown and getting beaten for a touchdown pass.
But Carroll said Griffin — who is in his first year playing left cornerback that was manned in the past by Sherman — is doing just fine.
“He’s withstanding it,’’ Carroll said. “It’s just the challenges of playing corner. They’re going to throw some balls at you and they’re going to catch some of them. It’s how do you come back and how do you keep playing. He’s been real consistent throughout the year. There’s always going to be some plays that get away, you know. I think he’s battling just like we’d hope.”
K.J. WRIGHT IS GETTING TREATMENT OUT OF TOWN AND WON’T PLAY THIS WEEK
The Seahawks will again be without veteran weakside linebacker K.J. Wright, meaning to expect Austin Calitro to start at that spot this week with Seattle then able to play Mychal Kendricks next week against Minnesota once he completes his eight-game suspension.
Carroll had already said not to expect Wright to play this week, but he reiterated that point Wednesday in saying that Wright is out of the area getting some treatment on his knee.
“He’s working at his rehab out of town,’’ Carroll said. “He’s doing something special that’s hopefully going to be a big help to him. He will be out all week.”
With Kendricks available starting with the Minnesota game Seattle will have options at the WLB spot. The success of the treatment Wright is getting this week could determine if he will remain one of those options. With just five games remaining, time is running out for Wright to get his knee right — he had surgery before the season, missed six games then came back to play in three before again being sidelined. Conversely, the Seahawks may also be hoping that they can get him well for the playoffs, with Seattle looking increasingly likely to get there.
THERE IS NO CHANCE EARL THOMAS WILL RETURN THIS SEASON
The return of Sherman seemed to inspire a question about what the injured Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas are doing with the team.
Said Carroll: “Kam is working with us. Yeah, he has come in consistently. It’s been great to have him around. Earl has been out of town, but Kam has been really helpful and supportive and he’s such a great character to have around anybody. Anybody can benefit from that guy. He’s an amazing person.”
And that led to a question of if there is any way that Thomas — who broke his leg Sept. 30 against Arizona — can return to play this season (an initial NFL Network report said Thomas would be fully recovered by February).
“March or April or something like that?’’ Carroll said. “I don’t know. Climate change. Something could happen. I don’t think so.”
J.D. MCKISSIC IS BACK AND MAY PLAY SUNDAY
The Seahawks on Wednesday also officially activated running back J.D. McKissic. They had waived receiver Keenan Reynolds the day before to make room on the 53-man roster.
Carroll said there’s a chance McKissic will play Sunday against the 49ers.
“We’re going to hopefully get him through the week and if everything works out right, then we would like to have him participate this week,’’ Carroll said.
As where McKissic will fit into what is now a five-man tailback group (joining Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Mike Davis and C.J. Prosise) Carroll said to wait and see.
The Seahawks on Wednesday re-signed Reynolds to the practice squad as well as tight end Tyrone Swoopes after losing tight end Darrell Daniels via waivers to the Cardinals on Monday.
Carroll also said it’s unclear if fullback Tre Madden will play this week. If Madden is out that increases the chances of more of the tailbacks being active. Seattle typically has three active on gameday but could go to four if Madden can’t play.
Madden sat out practice on Wednesday with what was listed as a chest injury.
“He’s sore,’’ Carroll said. “We’ll see what happens. It’s going to be at the end of the week before we know.”
Others who sat out practice Wednesday were safety Bradley McDougald (shoulder) defensive end Dion Jordan (non-injury related) and defensive tackle Shamar Stephen (foot). Three players were limited — Carson and tackle Duane Brown, each listed as non-injury related and likely meaning rest days, and guard D..J. Fluker (knee). Carroll indicated none of the players other than Wright and Madden are at risk of sitting out Sunday.