Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice’s proclamation that he’ll be on the field in Week One looks a bit stronger after Tuesday’s practice.
Rice wore a white jersey in practice for the first time, denoting he’s been cleared for contact after spending the first chunk of camp in the red jersey that tells the world to keep their hands to themselves. Rice won’t play in this week’s game against the Broncos, but coach Pete Carroll said it was time to see how his surgically repaired shoulders respond to getting hit.
“This is his first week back, getting banged around so we’ll give him some time,” Carroll said, via Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times. “See how that goes.”
O’Neil reports that Rice was doing everything in practice, up to and including diving for passes during drills. He had no physical setbacks on his first day back, which also saw wide receiver Doug Baldwin return to work after missing a week thanks to a hamstring injury.
The additions of Braylon Edwards and Terrell Owens have stepped up the competition in Seahawks camp, although Rice’s job would seem to be secure as long as he’s physically able to be on the field. Rice has missed 17 of his first 32 games as a member of the team, making that much more than an idle worry as Rice starts taking on a full workload.