Seahawks activate LB Jordyn Brooks from PUP list

RENTON, Wash. - Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks passed a physical with the team on Tuesday and was activated from the physically unable to perform list just seven months removed from a torn ACL in his right knee.

"I just attacked the rehab from day one," Brooks said. "I know people's throwing numbers around like with the return timetable would be, but I just went off of how I felt and it's been a great process of getting back."

Brooks was injured in a game against the New York Jets on New Year's Day. He was attempting to tackle tight end C.J. Uzomah near the sidelines when he planted on the turf and immediately recoiled and fell down. Brooks had surgery to repair the damaged ligament just over two weeks after the injury, which puts his impending return to the practice field at almost exactly seven months.

"Jordyn got out to walk through today, which is a really big step," head coach Pete Carroll said. "Now he's back in here so he can practice now. When the time is right, we'll get him out there. We're not going to rush it at all. But we wanted to get him back because he's capable of doing the walkthrough tempo stuff. And that's 40 minutes of work running the defense and all that so it's a real boost to him to get his learning up and communications and all that kind of stuff and for us to see him back out there and get accustomed to him to start his return. 

"It's going to be a while still, but that's a great sign., And he's going to make it back. He's going to be OK."

Brooks was one of six players to open training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list for the Seahawks to open training camp. Tight end Noah Fant and cornerback Riq Woolen have also been activated since camp got underway with Adams and nose tackles Bryan Mone (knee) and Austin Faoliu (knee) still on the list.

Players on the PUP list also are unable to take part in the team walkthroughs, which happen in the morning before practice. If the team follows the script they have with Fant and Woolen returning to action, he'll get a few days of work in walkthroughs under his belt before returning to the practice fields.

"He doesn't look like there's anything wrong at all in his workouts and all that," Carroll said. "We're just trying to establish a workload and callousing him up for the work that's he's called on because once he steps out there and he's going, it's on. And so we have to make sure that he's ready to handle that and sustain that. It's not just getting back and staying back and building up from there."

Brooks did his rehab alongside Adams in Frisco, Texas throughout the offseason. He said that having Adams as a rehab partner helped him in his recovery process as well.

"I would say that was probably the biggest boost for my recovery was kind of seeing him and how he was reacting to his injury," Brooks said. "Having fun every day during his rehab process. It kind of encouraged me to, you know, bring that attitude to rehab every day. So it was great."

Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush have been the two starting inside linebackers throughout training camp for the Seahawks. Brooks is the presumptive starter alongside Wagner when he's back to full strength. However, Bush's presence gives Seattle the chance to ease Brooks back in to the mix without overburdening his recovery. ACL injuries have tended to be a 9-12 month recovery timeline. However, athletes are finding faster and more effective recovery methods to push that window forward.

Brooks said that he believed he will be ready for the start of the regular season on September 10 against the Los Angeles Rams.

"The way I'm feeling now, I think I would," Brooks said. "Where I play, I don't know. We'll see."

Carroll was a little less certain on that topic.

"Anything could happen," he said. "Three weeks from now? Maybe."

Brooks is coming off two terrific seasons for the Seahawks as he enters the final year of his rookie contract with the team. Brooks had a team-record 184 tackles in 2021 (with the benefit of a 17th game on the schedule) and followed it up with 161 tackles last year in 16 games played.

Notes:

– Former Seahawks running back Alex Collins passed away in a motorcycle accident on Sunday in Florida. Head coach Pete Carroll address Collins' loss on Tuesday afternoon.

"It’s just a heart crushing loss for Alex Collins to be gone," Carroll said. "He was a beautiful kid and a wonderful competitor, but it’s the person that we will miss the most. He had a great spirit about him and he was fun as heck. It’s so unfortunate for his family and for all of us that lost him. I wish there was something we could do, but it’s a heartbreaker."

Injury Updates:

– Safety Jamal Adams

"Jamal looks like he’s on his way back too," Carroll said. "Again we got to get them not just where they can kind of get back out there, they have to be able to stay out there. That’s why we are taking the time and making sure that hopefully when they return, they can stay returned."

– Wide receiver Dareke Young

"Yeah we missed him," Carroll said. "It seems like it’s been a month, but I know it’s probably been about 10 days. He’s a good hard working kid and again he pushed himself to get back out. We’re going to take this one day at a time with him to make sure that he can stay out."

– Wide receiver Cody Thompson

"His first day back you know, we’ll see what happens," Carroll said. "We’re optimistic about his return also, he came in as Dareke (Young) did in such great shape, that they can bounce back really quickly. They have different injuries, but we’ll see if they can tolerate it, we’ll have to wait and see."

– Running back Ken Walker III

"Kenny is back in walkthrough now, he did the walkthroughs today too, he looked great," Carroll said. "He looked like he was flying out there.  He’s going to make it back there's no doubt, he looked like he is healed. He too needs more work too so we can guarantee that he can stay, but he looked great today."

– Running back Kenny McIntosh

"Kenny on a good arch right now," Carroll said. "As soon as he saw Ken (Walker III)  out there, he wanted to get back out in a walkthrough also. He was clamoring for it today. I made an appeal to the trainers today, so we’ll see what happens in the next couple of days, but he’s making good progress. Kenneth Walker is going to be back no doubt." 

– Cornerback Devon Witherspoon

"He is in his own spot right now, he is running straight ahead, and he’s getting there, so it's going to be a bit still," Carroll said.

– Nose tackle Cameron Young

"He’s running, he’s not quite there yet. He’s getting back, he’ll make it, probably make it in the next week or so," Carroll said.

– Defensive end Mike Morris

"Mike (Morris) got an old injury in his shoulder," Carroll said. "We’re just making sure he had a little bit of a stinger we don’t want to keep that in a reoccurring kind of mode, so we’ll slow it down for a couple of days and see how it goes. I don’t know what will happen for the weekend at this point. 

– Center Olu Oluwatimi

"We’re watching it," Carroll said. "We’re making sure we don’t aggravate his elbow any sooner than we have to. I know he wants to play this weekend and we’ll see what happens." 

– Linebacker Darrell Taylor

"Making really good progress, he’s doing a lot of stuff now," Carroll said. "It sounds like everyone we’ve talked about is kind of in the same mode. They are all working really hard, it's positive I can't give you a prediction on that one at all yet. The shoulders you want to protect, you don’t want them to be chronic where they keep coming back."

– Wide receiver Cade Johnson

"He’s doing much better. He’s been riding the bike and has been getting back to activity," Carroll said.

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