BRADY HENDERSON

Seahawks’ Michael Bennett having knee surgery, expected to miss 2-3 weeks

Oct 30, 2016, 6:03 PM | Updated: 6:23 pm

Michael Bennett is expected to miss two to three weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery. (AP)...

Michael Bennett is expected to miss two to three weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery. (AP)

(AP)

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett does indeed need knee surgery, but the good news for Seattle is that he’s only expected to be out for a few games. Coach Pete Carroll on Sunday confirmed reports from ESPN and the NFL Network that Bennett is having an arthroscopic procedure on Monday and that he’s expected to miss two to three weeks.

“That’s what we understand, yeah. It should be a short return but we’ve got to get him fixed up,” Carroll told reporters following Seattle’s 25-20 loss to New Orleans. “So it’s way better – we’re thinking long-term and way down the road and this is the best thing. He could have gone out here and gutted it out but that’s not the right thing to do. So we’ll take care of him and get him back as soon as we can and we’ll welcome him back when he gets there.”

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Carroll on Friday said surgery was possible for Bennett, who initially hurt his knee two weeks ago against Atlanta when it was hyper-extended by a cut-block from offensive tackle Jake Matthews. Bennett left that game for good but played 81 snaps last Sunday against Arizona. Carroll said Bennett came out of that game feeling like something was wrong with the same knee and that an MRI revealed some cartilage issues.

Bennett didn’t play Sunday, marking the first time he’s missed a game since joining the Seahawks in 2013. Seattle’s next three games are at home against Buffalo next Monday night, at New England the following Sunday night and then at home against Philadelphia. Assuming Bennett misses the Patriots game based on the two-to-three-week timetable, he won’t play against his brother, Martellus, a tight end with New England. That game also happens to be on Michael Bennett’s 31st birthday.

Frank Clark had a sack and six tackles while starting in Bennett’s absence on Sunday.

Defensive tackle Tony McDaniel left in the second half Sunday with what Carroll said afterward was a sprained ankle. Carroll said: “He turned his ankle a little. Not a serious sprain but enough to keep him out of there.”

Carroll said it was a stinger that forced Justin Britt to leave briefly on Seattle’s final drive.

Carroll said quarterback Russell Wilson made it out of the game fine, having played with a pectoral injury he sustained last week in addition to the knee and ankle sprains from earlier in the season. Carroll on Friday said Wilson’s mobility was improving and that he wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson ran more in this game than he has recently. Wilson ran three times for 11 yards Sunday and was sacked once for an 11-yard loss on a play in which he couldn’t spin out of pressure like he often does when healthy.

“I thought he looked very good,” Carroll said when asked how Wilson moved Sunday. “I thought he looked normal today. He didn’t take off and make many yards running but he looked good and was mobile. He did another spectacular job to just get through this game again, and you couldn’t tell that he was hurt. So I thought that’s a really positive step. I think he looks OK now, too. It’s really how he comes out of the game; I think he’ll be alright. And from this point forward, we have a chance to see him continue to progress to get back to normal.”

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