Wide receiver Brandon Marshall had his most extensive work of training camp during Thursday’s practice with the Seattle Seahawks,
The 12-year veteran is working his way back from an ankle injury that ended his 2017 season after only five games. He also had a surgery to correct a lingering toe injury when it became clear he was going to have to rehabilitate the ankle anyway. Marshall also was limited in the team’s offseason program due to a hamstring issue after signing with the team in May.
But Marshall caught a touchdown pass in red zone drills over rookie cornerback Tre Flowers and showed the potential contributions he could make to Seattle’s roster this season.
“It’s either you got something left in the tank or you don’t,” Marshall said after practice. “I mean, quarter tank, whatever. If you don’t got a full tank then you can’t play this game so I’m working my tail off to get 100 percent healthy and get out there and contribute in a major way. I’m not here to just be a guy. I’m here to be the beast that I’ve always been. I’m confident I’ll be able to do that in the next couple weeks.”
Marshall said he’s been to Germany, London, Switzerland, Arizona and New York this season seeking treatments to get healthy for the upcoming year. He specifically cited the Regenokine procedure seven Seahawks players had last year during training camp to treat various ailments.
“Rehabbing can be a really challenging situation and this was one of the toughest things I’ve ever been through as an athlete,” Marshall said. “One, you got the ‘I’m aging’ part out there, and you got the self-doubt and self-talk creeping in. Then, production slips. You get cut. There’s so much negative stuff happening while you’re laying on the table trying to be able to walk again. So, yes, it’s very difficult and the only thing that gets you over that hump is actually doing it and making those plays that you made in the past.
“Just being able to go out there and feel the grass the way I felt it before (the injury), my feet under me was special. Catching the ball, that’s special. Being able to have a defender in front of you, that’s special. I almost had tears in my eyes today being able to go in the huddle and break the huddle, just because of all the work that I’ve put in. I’ve been across the world trying to get healthy. ... I’ve been all over the damn place trying to get my damn feet right. Definitely ecstatic about feeling somewhat like myself today.”
With Doug Baldwin set to miss a large chunk, if not all, of the preseason while nursing a sore knee, the Seahawks’ receiving corps could certainly use Marshall’s experience. It all comes down to if he has something left in the tank or not.