Seahawks’ Russell Wilson says he’ll be ‘ready to roll’ Sunday vs Rams

RENTON – As he was making his way to the podium in the Seahawks’ auditorium for his weekly press conference Thursday, quarterback Russell Wilson joked that he thought about pretending to trip, “just to make you guys a little nervous.”

It was a reference to his sprained right ankle, which has been a leading story line this week with Seattle preparing for its Week 2 matchup with the Rams in Los Angeles. Except any real concern about Wilson’s availability for that game has disappeared as every indication has been that he’ll play. The latest of several came Thursday as Wilson vowed that he’ll be “ready to roll” and talked about the progress his ankle has made in the four days since it was injured.

He said it’s doing better than expected.

“Yeah, that’s what the doctors and trainers have all been saying,” he said. “They’re kind of shocked that it’s doing this well. Really not any swelling at all or anything like that just because I got on it right away and I’ve been hammering it.”

By “hammering it,” Wilson meant his rehab. That has been a joint effort between the Seahawks’ training staff and what Wilson described as his personal physical therapist/movement specialist, Drew Morcos, who flew up from California and is staying with Wilson this week.

“It’s been great,” Wilson said. “It’s been a lot of hard work, and a lot of prayers – it works – and tons of ice, too.”

Wilson said he had never dealt with an ankle injury of any severity until this one, which he sustained in the third quarter of the Seahawks’ opener when Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stepped on his heel, causing his foot to bend awkwardly. Wilson was hobbled the remainder of the game but never missed a play and led Seattle on a game-winning touchdown drive.

“It definitely hurt, that’s for sure,” Wilson said, later adding that he doesn’t think there was any intent “at all” on Suh’s part. “But my mentality was I’m going to stay in the game and find a way for us to win the game.”

Wilson said he was “definitely sore” Monday morning, by which point he had shed the boot that he was wearing after the game Sunday night. In addition to icing his ankle, Wilson said he’s used what’s called a NormaTec, a compression apparatus designed to enhance blood flow and aid in recovery. He said his sprained right ankle “looks just like” his left one.

“I don’t think I’ve really slept more than probably six hours all week, probably slept two hours every night so far,” he said. “So, just trying to do everything I can to make sure I’m at my best come Sunday.”

The question at this point is no longer whether Wilson will play but how limited he may be by his ankle. John Clayton wrote earlier this week about how Seattle may have to adjust its offense to account for Wilson’s diminished mobility. A few possible adjustments would be fewer designed roll-outs and read-option plays and more snaps out of shotgun, thereby eliminating the drop-back.

For Wilson’s part, though, he said he doesn’t expect to be limited by his injury.

“I don’t think it’ll affect it,” he said. “… You’ve got to play a little bit dinged up in this game. You’ve got to be tough enough, mentally tough enough, have the mental fortitude to be able to do that. I think it’s important to have that mentality.”