RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Thursday that he "absolutely" expects running back Thomas Rawls and tight end Jimmy Graham to be ready to play in Week 1.
"They would have to incur some issues that we can't foresee right now for that not to happen," Carroll said.
Rawls suffered a fractured ankle and ligament damage during a Dec. 13 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Graham ruptured his patellar tendon in a Nov. 29 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Both players attended the team's three-day minicamp this week. Graham ran some routes and caught passes at the beginning of each session but then returned to the sideline. Rawls spent the practices on the sideline.
Carroll said that the next six weeks are crucial for both players, and there's a chance Graham and/or Rawls will start training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
"Jimmy's a little bit ahead of Thomas in terms of the on-field running, so he's a bit ahead schedule-wise," Carroll said. "But still, Thomas is in great shape.
"Thomas is going to be here the whole time. Jimmy's going to be back and forth. It'll be pretty crucial to see what happens after the six weeks' time, but it's not going to tell the story. We've got a long time here."
Rawls piled up 830 yards as a rookie and led the NFL with 5.65 yards per carry. With Marshawn Lynch retired, Rawls is in line to be the Seahawks' primary ball-carrier if healthy.
Graham caught 48 balls for 605 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games with the Seahawks before the injury.
