Seahawks personnel updates: Pete Carroll on Marshawn Lynch’s status

RENTON – Seahawks coach Pete Carroll doesn’t seem as optimistic about running back Marshawn Lynch returning from abdominal surgery as quickly as the team initially anticipated.

Lynch had surgery on Nov. 25 in Philadelphia. Carroll indicated at the time that Lynch could be back within 3 or 4 weeks, but he said Monday that the early end of that initial timetable may have been unrealistic in retrospect even though Lynch appears to be progressing nicely.

“The reports are that he’s doing really well. He’s left Philadelphia now, so we’ll see how it goes the next few weeks, see how he comes around,” Carroll said. “It’s so much to ask him to jump back after three weeks. I don’t even know how we could think that way, but this is week three starting up, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Questions about Lynch’s whereabouts also led to some interesting responses from Carroll. Lynch was initially expected to remain in Philadelphia for several days following his surgery. He has since left and was reportedly spotted over the weekend attending a Cal women’s basketball game at his alma mater in Berkeley, which is near his hometown of Oakland.

Asked if Lynch will be returning to the Seahawks’ training facility, where he could continue his rehab under the guidance of the team’s medical staff, Carroll said he didn’t know.

“I haven’t talked to him yet so I’m not sure where we are with that right now,” he said. “Right now it’s still rehab.”

Where is Lynch now?

“I’m not going to report on that,” Carroll said. “He’s at large.”

Here are additional injury and personnel updates from Carroll’s media availability:

• Carroll said Jeremy Lane’s return and DeShawn Shead’s emergence were factors in Seattle’s decision to release cornerback Cary Williams on Monday. Lane missed the first 10 games while recovering from knee and arm injuries and has re-assumed his role as Seattle’s nickelback the last two. Carroll, though, said that he will compete with Shead at right cornerback now that Lane is feeling closer to 100 percent than he was when he first returned. Carroll: “We love the way he plays and have always loved Jeremy’s playing. He’ll be battling for more play-time now. He’ll be pushing DeShawn for time out there also. That’s a real positive for us. We felt like that spot was filled up.”

• Carroll gave no indication as to how the Seahawks will fill the roster spot that was opened by Williams’ release.

• Carroll said wide receiver Paul Richardson suffered a setback last week in his recovery from a hamstring injury, which led to the decision to place him on season-ending injured reserve over the weekend. Carroll said the team wasn’t sure when Richardson would be able to return. Placing him on IR cleared a roster spot, which Seattle would have had to save for Richardson even without the guarantee that he would be able to play again this season. Carroll: “There was uncertainty in the recovery. It’s been a hard year for him, and I feel bad for him. He’s such a cool kid and he wants to play so bad. He did work really hard to get back, but the way it showed up when we evaluated it again, the MRIs and stuff like that, it just looked like it was going to be an unpredictable return.”

• Carroll said he’s not sure if defensive linemen Jordan Hill (toe) or Demarcus Dobbs (concussion) will be able to return this week after missing Sunday’s game.

• Carroll reiterated that Seattle didn’t sustain any injuries against Minnesota.