RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen is returning to practice this week as he continues what coach Pete Carroll called an "extraordinary" recovery from his foot injury.
Olsen, 35, has been on injured reserve since he tore his plantar fascia in Week 11. The Seahawks designated him for return to practice on Wednesday. They'll have to add him back to their active roster before he can play, but he doesn't count against the 53-man limit in the meantime.
Carroll didn't commit to Olsen playing Sunday against the Washington Football Team, saying only that it's a possibility.
"We'll see," Carroll said. "We don't have any idea. He's been working out with the guys. We've got to see how he does on the practice field."
Olsen, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Seahawks in February after spending the previous nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He caught 23 of 35 targets for 224 yards and one touchdown in 10 games before hurting his foot on Nov. 19. He had dealt with similar foot issues in recent seasons.
Olsen, who has a deal to join Fox as a television analyst whenever he retires, vowed that his latest foot injury wouldn't spell the end of his career. He tweeted a photo of himself walking off the field with assistance after his Nov. 19 injury and wrote: "I refuse to allow this to be my final moment. I will find a way to finish on my feet!"
I refuse to allow this to be my final moment. I will find a way to finish on my feet! Thanks for the ❤️ #amorfati pic.twitter.com/mMiAU1jHmU
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) November 21, 2020
The Seahawks are hoping to have right tackle Brandon Shell and former Washington cornerback Quinton Dunbar available Sunday, although their statuses are still uncertain. Carroll said that Shell, who left last week's game after tweaking his injured ankle, won't practice Wednesday. The Seahawks designated Dunbar, on IR with a knee injury, to return to practice last week.
Carroll gave an ominous-sounding update on rookie defensive end Darrell Taylor, who's still on the non-football injury list. Seattle's second-round pick has yet to play this season because of a leg injury from college. Carroll said last week that Taylor had received an unspecified injection and that it would take a couple of weeks before they would know what effect that had.
"We're really running out of time," Carroll said Wednesday. "Next week is really the last shot for us to get a chance, and he'll have to jump out then. The treatment that he went through does kind of culminate this week. We'll see what that means. I don't mean to give you any hope at this point other than we've just got to wait and see. But it's not too late. Fortunately we might have some more games to play if we're fortunate enough, and we'd love to have him available."