RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said that rookie defensive tackle Malik McDowell will be out for "quite a while" while he recovers from injuries related to a vehicular accident last month.
"He had a serious accident," Carroll said. "He had multiple injuries, had an injury to his head. It's going to be quite a while, and we're going to wait it out. He's on NFI [non-football injury list] and is going to be there for a while.
"We're just going to have to see how he progresses down the road. We're not looking for him to get back in the immediate -- the first game of the season and that kind of stuff. We're going to wait it out and see how he does."
Carroll confirmed that McDowell suffered a concussion but would not offer details on the other injuries. He said he was holding back on specifics regarding the actual accident at the request of McDowell's family.
The Seahawks selected McDowell in the second round (35th overall) out of Michigan State.
McDowell did not report to the team for the start of training camp but ended up meeting with Seahawks doctors in Seattle last week. Carroll said McDowell is now back home in Michigan recovering.
"Just got to wait it out," Carroll said. "Wait out recovery. He's not working out yet. He can't do anything as far as the physical workouts. He's walking. That's what he's doing. He feels fine. It's very frustrating for him because he feels fine, but he's just got to make it through the recovery."
Carroll said he doesn't think McDowell's injuries are career-threatening. He was asked if McDowell could play this year.
"I don't know that," he said. "I like to hope so, but I don't know that."
