The Seahawks have been pretty tight-lipped when it comes to specific details surrounding the injuries sustained by defensive tackle Malik McDowell in an ATV accident in the weeks before training camp.
Part of the reason for that was they hadn’t seen McDowell themselves. He had remained in Michigan recovering when the Seahawks opened training camp on Sunday. However, McDowell officially reported to the team on Thursday and was moved to the non-football injury list.
Details have still been hard to come by and head coach Pete Carroll didn’t add much clarity. However, he indicated they expect it to be a lengthy issue.
“He’s doing all kinds of appointments and stuff to make sure that we know exactly what’s going on,” Carroll said. “They (the doctors) did a lot of stuff yesterday. I really don’t have much to report for you but it’s going to take a while to figure it out.”
When asked if McDowell would be ready for the regular season, or if he would be able to play at all this year, Carroll said he didn’t know.
“It’s very disappointing and there’s nothing we can do about it right now but just take the time to assess and just figure out what this all means,” Carroll said.
McDowell sustained at least a concussion and facial lacerations in the accident, per a source. In a statement posted to Twitter on Sunday, McDowell insisted his injuries were not life- or career-threatening and promised “you will see me back on the field in the near future.”
Carroll’s comments didn’t seem nearly as optimistic.
After selecting McDowell with the 35th overall pick in May’s NFL Draft, Carroll said they’d been looking for a player with McDowell’s attributes since they came in Seattle in 2010. Given Carroll’s comments on Thursday, it seems like it will be some time before the Seahawks are able to see him put those attributes to use on the field.