Seahawks Bring Linebacker Jordyn Brooks Off PUP List Following Knee Surgery

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks has moved to the next stage of his recovery from a major knee injury, though it is not yet clear whether he will be available when the regular season begins.

The team activated Brooks from the physically unable to perform list, less than eight months after he tore the ACL in his right knee in a Jan. 1 game against the New York Jets. The move allows him to take part in training camp practices.

It does not guarantee he will be ready for the Sept. 10 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Coach Pete Carroll said that remains to be determined. "Once he steps out there and he's going it's on. So we have to make sure that he's ready to handle that and sustain that," Carroll said. "It's not just getting back, it's staying back and building up from there."

For now, Brooks' work is likely to be limited to the team's morning walkthroughs, which come before the afternoon practices on the field. When he does return to action, he will add to a linebacker group that has already welcomed back Bobby Wagner and added Devin Bush this offseason.

Brooks said his availability for Week 1 will depend largely on whether he can build enough football-specific conditioning over the 3 1/2 weeks before the opener, and he believes it is possible. He pointed to getting used to 12-play and six-play drives and running around in pads again as the biggest part of the process.

He had surgery later in January. Returning for the start of the season was the goal, but being ready by September had seemed somewhat optimistic. Carroll has said throughout camp that Brooks was close to returning. Bush called it "crazy" that Brooks is back this early, saying it showed how much work he put into rehab.

Brooks is entering his fourth season after Seattle drafted him in the first round in 2020. He started 33 games over the past two seasons and finished second in the league with 183 tackles in 2021. He said his rehabilitation took a jump around May, when the team began its offseason program. He trained near Dallas with teammate Jamal Adams, who is still recovering from a quadriceps tendon injury suffered in Week 1 last season. Brooks said Adams' upbeat approach to rehab encouraged him to bring the same attitude. Carroll said Adams is not as far along as Brooks, which puts the safety's Week 1 availability further in doubt.

Carroll also updated the status of several other injured players. Rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon, slowed in camp by a hamstring injury, is "in his own spot right now. He's running straight ahead. He's getting there," Carroll said. Running back Ken Walker III, who has a groin injury, is participating in walkthroughs, and rookie running back Kenny McIntosh should return soon from a knee sprain.

Defensive linemen Mike Morris and Darrell Taylor are both dealing with shoulder issues, and Carroll said the team is being careful with them. "The shoulders we want to protect because we don't want them to be chronic," he said. Wide receiver Cade Johnson, hurt in last week's preseason game, has progressed to riding a bike and doing light activity.