RENTON, Wash. -- Less than 10 months after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham is expected to play in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins.
"He had a great last few weeks," said coach Pete Carroll. "He's done everything we could ask of him. He couldn't be more excited about playing. ... I do expect him to play."
Graham started training camp on the physically unable to perform list but made steady progress throughout the summer and has practiced fully this week. He is officially listed as questionable on the injury report. Graham didn't see any action during the preseason and could see limited snaps on Sunday. Carroll did not say whether he would start.
Meanwhile, at running back, Christine Michael will get the start, and Thomas Rawls will come off the bench, Carroll said. Rawls suffered a fractured ankle with ligament damage in December and had offseason surgery. He played two snaps in the final preseason game and is not listed on the injury report.
The Seahawks traded Michael last summer. He got chances with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins before returning to Seattle late in the year. Coaches and teammates have raved about the way he's taken advantage of his second opportunity.
"Definitely a privilege, definitely an honor," Michael said. "Just got to keep going out there and proving myself and keep doing what I'm doing."