RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Monday that backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is "making pretty good progress" with his recovery from a high ankle sprain, an injury that initially threatened his availability for the start of the regular season.
A week and a half after sustaining the injury, Jackson appears to be on track to be available when Seattle opens its season on Sept. 13 at St. Louis, if not before then.
"We're really shooting for the opener right now at this point with him and think that he'll make that," Carroll said. "He wants to try to play next week, and we're going to try to get that done and see if that happens. That would be a real accomplishment at this point. He's moving around OK and he's obviously getting better, but we need to have him ready for the opener."
R.J. Archer is Seattle's No. 3 quarterback. The Seahawks signed Jake Waters following Jackson's injury, giving them two healthy quarterbacks behind starter Russell Wilson. But entering the season with either of those players as the primary backup wouldn't be an optimal situation considering Waters is an undrafted rookie and Archer has never thrown a pass in a regular-season game.
With Jackson progressing well from his injury, the Seahawks might not have to worry about that.
Here are some other injury updates to come out of Carroll's post-practice media availability:
Linebacker Bruce Irvin is going through the league-mandated concussion protocol. He appeared to be shaken up after colliding with strong safety Dion Bailey during a play in the first quarter against Kansas City. Irvin left the game immediately then later returned. Said Carroll on Monday: "We're going to take care of him with the concussion protocol and make sure he's fine. He did get whacked in the game. He seems to be OK and feels alright, but we have to take the process very seriously."
Wide receiver Chris Matthews has not practiced since sustaining a shoulder sprain in Seattle's preseason opener. Carroll said Matthews is getting closer to his return, but that it might not come this week.
Rookie safety Ryan Murphy, a seventh-round pick, is returning to practice after injuring his ankle at the start of training camp.
Carroll said the knee injury that guard Kona Schwenke sustained Friday night is a torn ACL. The Seahawks waived Schwenke with an injury designation on Saturday. He went unclaimed, as expected, and has reverted to Seattle's injured reserve list.
