Bills coach Rex Ryan says ‘there’s a possibility’ Percy Harvin plays Monday vs Seahawks

RENTON – It’s far from certain that Percy Harvin will play against the Seahawks. On a conference call with Seattle-area reporters Thursday, Bills coach Rex Ryan said it’s possible that Harvin gets up to speed this week after coming out of retirement to sign with Buffalo, but he didn’t sound like he’s counting on that happening.

“Well, we’ll see,” Ryan said when asked about Harvin’s potential availability for Monday night’s game at CenturyLink Field. “He did very, very little today. But hopefully as the week goes on, maybe practice him a little bit more and see how he is. Obviously, it’s not like he’s going to jump in there and go 40, 50 plays or something like that for us. There is a possibility that he will play, though.”

Bills general manager Doug Whaley has made similar comments to reporters about the uncertainty over Harvin’s availability for Monday night. The team signed him Tuesday to a one-year deal as a reinforcement for a wide-receiver corps that’s been decimated by injuries. Ryan said the team had looked into trade options before one member of the front office proposed reaching out to Harvin, who retired in the spring after spending last season with Buffalo.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor said on a conference call that Harvin showed in his first practice that he has his usual burst, but when he can get on the field depends on how quickly he gets back into game shape.

“He looks the same,” Ryan said. “He looks like he’s in great shape, but there’s a big difference between you think you’re in shape and then being in football shape. We’ve got to be careful. We don’t want to have any pulls or anything like that, so we’re going to take it slow with him. But he looks like he’s in really good shape.”

Harvin played in only five games last year with Buffalo and has said he had his knee scoped after the season.

“He was really frustrated last year,” Ryan said. “As you guys know, he’s had a history of some things, some nagging type injuries, and I think he was just tired – he knows he’s a great player and it really frustrated him when he wasn’t healthy and able to contribute. So I think that played into it. Now he’s back, he’s been away from the game and he’s gotten healthy. He’s excited to be here and we’re definitely excited to have him.”

Ryan was the Jets’ coach in 2014 when the Seahawks traded Harvin mid-season to New York. That followed multiple run-ins with Seahawks teammates that contributed to Harvin’s downfall in Seattle, which made a blockbuster trade in 2013 to acquire him. Ryan also coached Harvin last season, his first in Buffalo.

“This is actually the third time I’ve brought Percy in,” Ryan noted. “I love him. I think he’s a great teammate. Everybody likes him. Real competitive guy and just wants to win. I obviously think the world of him or I wouldn’t hire the guy three times. That’s what I’ve done, so I really think a lot of Percy.”