After being relegated to spectator duty over the first 10 days of training camp, safety Kam Chancellor and left tackle Russell Okung both returned to limited participation this week as they continue to recover from offseason surgeries.
Chancellor had surgery to fix a troublesome hip that has bothered for the last 5-6 years dating back to his time at Virginia Tech University.
“It’s something I dealt with for a while,” Chancellor said. “Some of the pain I fought through it, but now it’s good.
“I’m on schedule for where I want to be. I feel like I’m getting healthy. I feel I’m on a perfect schedule to get right back on the field and ready to go.”
The hip issue didn’t appear to be too much of a hindrance last season as Chancellor was arguably Seattle’s best defensive player in the postseason and put together an MVP-caliber performance in the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos.
Okung missed eight games last season due to a torn ligament in his toe, He was placed on the short-term injured reserve list and returned for the stretch run and playoffs. However, the injury was still causing problems and Okung elected for surgery this offseason.
“We just got to sit down with the coaches and the training staff and we just thought it was my best move going forward. We didn’t really want to struggle with it anymore,” Okung said.
“I’m feeling pretty good. It’s great to be back out here after a really long offseason, at least to me. Now that I’m on my path to recovery, I’m just very grateful to be out here.”
With Seattle’s offensive line currently unsettled due to injuries and a position battle at right tackle, the return of Okung to anchor the left side of the line would be a welcome sight. Chancellor is the enforcer of Seattle’s talented secondary and will also be a boost.
While it’s uncertain how much, if at all, Chancellor and Okung will play this preseason, both players appear to be on track to be at full strength for Seattle’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 4.