Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Christine Michael sits out practice

RENTON – The offensive coordinator’s praise of Christine Michael was noteworthy.

So was the fact that it came with a caveat.

“He has a special talent,” Darrell Bevell said of the Seahawks’ third-year running back. “It’s something that we’re hoping comes to the forefront, that he’ll really take the bit and really compete for us at that spot. There’s no question he has the talent.”

But?

“But he’s got to do the right thing all the time,” Bevell said. “I think he’s really done well up to this point.”

Up until this point?

“Until we’ve missed him the last couple days,” Bevell said after Tuesday’s workout.

Ah. There it is. The problem. Just one week after the annual story about Michael being someone to watch this offseason, Michael was the one watching Tuesday’s practice.

Bevell never specified the injury that was presumably bothering Michael. Could be a sore hamstring like the one Michael experienced during the offseason workouts after he was drafted in 2013. It was a hamstring that held him back last August, too, and landed him inactive when the regular season began.

Whatever was bothering Michael, it was enough that he was watching Tuesday’s practice. And while that wasn’t a big deal considering the team wasn’t even wearing helmets let alone tackling, it’s not exactly encouraging either, especially coming just one week after coach Pete Carroll said consistency is what Michael needed to show to earn more opportunities.

“Just coming back,” Carroll said last week. “Have a good game and come on back and have another one. Stay with the workload and handle the bumps and the bruises.”

Well, looks like it’s time to pump the brakes on that story about Michael’s emergence this offseason, at least until the running back is able to step on the gas again and resume practicing.

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