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Brady HendersonESPN
RENTON — Pete Carroll said there’s a “good chance” wide receiver Josh Gordon makes his Seattle Seahawks debut Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers.
“He did really well,” Carroll said of Gordon’s first week of practice with Seattle. “He was very impressive in terms of picking stuff up, studying overtime. He fit in really well. He’s a really good athlete. You can really tell that he’s got a lot of potential to be a big-time player, so it was fun to see him on the practice field. He did a nice job.”
Gordon was limited with an ankle injury during his first two practices this week, then was listed as a full participant Saturday. He wasn’t given a game designation on the team’s final injury report, signifying he’s healthy enough to play.
So, will he?
“You’ve got to wait and see,” Carroll said with a smile, using his go-to line for questions about availability and personnel decisions in upcoming games. “Wait and see. There’s a good chance.”
Gordon was waived last week by the New England Patriots after a stint on injured reserve with a knee injury.
“I feel great,” he said Saturday when asked about his knee and ankle injuries.
Gordon answered “yes” when asked if he was surprised his tenure with the Patriots ended the way it did. He caught 20 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown in six games this season before landing on IR.
“But we all know the business,” he said. “It can be short-lived anywhere. You never know what can happen day to day in the NFL. But that was the decision they made and I’m glad to be here now though.”
Gordon said the Seahawks were a desired landing spot for him for “a long time.”
“I’m grateful to be here,” he said. “There’s a lot of gratitude. Definitely thankful to land in a spot like this. It could have been anywhere. I couldn’t control that [when he was waived]. But nonetheless, I’m grateful to have this opportunity to just go out there and do what I do.”
The Seahawks claimed Gordon off waivers on Nov. 1, too late in the week for the receiver to get up to speed in time to play in their overtime win over Tampa Bay two days later. Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer noted how well Gordon picked up Seattle’s offense this week. He’s one of seven receivers on Seattle’s active roster along with starters Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, plus David Moore, Jaron Brown, Malik Turner and John Ursua.
“He had no problem,” Carroll said of Gordon. “I’m not saying he won’t make an error here with something, but he had no problem picking stuff up — principles, concepts, terminology. He made great sense of it.”
Said Russell Wilson: “Josh, he’s been great since he’s gotten here. He’s been studying like crazy. He sits up [front] and takes tons of notes. He’s highlighting like crazy. He’s in his playbook nonstop. He’s prepared. He’ll be prepared and ready to roll. He’s a true pro. He’s been in different systems and stuff like that. I think that helps him. I think he’s really fired up to be here. We’re fired up to have him.”
Safety Quandre Diggs is also in line to make his Seahawks debut Monday at Levi’s Stadium. He’s been sidelined with a hamstring injury that he was dealing with before he arrived in an Oct. 22 trade with the Detroit Lions. Diggs was a full participant the last two days after being limited Thursday.
“Quandre has made it back to practice, made it through it, so he’s put himself in position to play this week,” Carroll said.
Carroll wouldn’t divulge whether the Seahawks plan to activate tight end Ed Dickson off IR. The Seahawks have only two true tight ends on their roster and one of them, Luke Willson, is dealing with a rib injury, though he doesn’t have a game designation. The only two players who do are safety Lano Hill and guard Phil Haynes, who are both questionable.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and left tackle Duane Brown were limited Saturday after not practicing Thursday or Friday.