On Thursday, Doug Baldwin said he felt like he was ready to play in Sunday’s game in Arizona, but the Seahawks' Pro-Bowl receiver also acknowledged that the decision ultimately wouldn't be his alone.
A day later, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that Baldwin will indeed make his return from the knee injury that kept him out of the previous two games.
"I'm excited to tell you Doug Baldwin is going to play in this game," Carroll said following Friday's practice. "He had a great week, he looked terrific. He's just raring to go as much as anybody could, so we're really excited to have him back out there. He's a big part of our club and he means a lot to us, so that'll be great to see him out here."
Getting back Baldwin, a two-time Pro-Bowler who has more than 3,000 receiving yards and 29 touchdown receptions over the past three seasons, is obviously very good news for quarterback Russell Wilson and the rest of Seattle's offense.
"Just watching him during the week and seeing how crisp he is, the routes that he runs—you can just see Russell's confidence in him and kind of the anticipation of where he's going to be and getting the ball out quickly to him—it's so valuable," Carroll said. "How he fits in? We've got to work him back in a little bit and see how it goes, but he looked fantastic, he looked like he was in top-flight condition and all. So we'll see how the game goes, but he looked great. He does mean a lot to us, just in continuity and confidence and all of that."
The Seahawks are hoping they'll also have starting running back Chris Carson, but Carroll said he'll be a game-day decision. Carson, who is listed as questionable, was a limited participant throughout the week because of a hip injury.
"We've just got to make sure he's OK," Carroll said. "He just felt a little something and we just took it easy on him. He had a bunch of carries last week and it warranted a little bit of a break. We've just got to make sure he's OK… We'll take it all the way to game time. He's thinking he's going, but we'll just make sure to guarantee it."
Fellow running back C.J. Prosise is listed as doubtful with an abdomen injury, but Carroll said, "He has a chance to play this weekend too."
Also listed as questionable is defensive end Dion Jordan, who was limited in practice Friday after being held out the previous two days with a hip injury.
"He worked out today," Carroll said. "I've got to watch the film and see how he comes back after he works today. That's one of the things we need to see with him—does he feel OK tomorrow after the load that he took? We'll determine that at game time."
The Seahawks won't have rookie defensive end Rasheem Green, who has been ruled out with an ankle injury, though Carroll noted that Green is making a quick recovery.
"He's bouncing around on it pretty good, but he won't make it," Carroll said.
Guard Ethan Pocic is listed as doubtful with an ankle injury, but Carroll said there's an outside chance he will be available Sunday. Earlier this week, Carroll said J.R. Sweezy will start again at left guard even if Pocic is able to play.
"He looked really good today, he was bouncing around today," Carroll said of Pocic. "I caught him running with me between drills; I was surprised he looked that comfortable. I don't know what that means. We're kind of thinking that it's hard for him to play this week, but he shocked us today that he was that good, so we'll see where he is."
Arizona has no players ruled out or listed as doubtful, but five players are listed as questionable, including four starters—receiver Larry Fitzgerald (hamstring), defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (knee), defensive tackle Corey Peters (elbow) and right tackle Andre Smith (elbow).
Here are the full injury reports for both teams:
Seattle Seahawks
Out
DE Rasheem Green (ankle, did not participate in practice)
LB K.J. Wright (knee, did not participate in practice)
Doubtful
G Ethan Pocic (ankle, did not participate in practice)
RB C.J. Prosise (abdomen, did not participate in practice)
Questionable
DE Dion Jordan (hip, limited participation in practice)
WR Doug Baldwin (knee, full participation in practice)
S Delano Hill (hamstring, full participation in practice)
RB Chris Carson (hip, limited participation in practice)
Arizona Cardinals
Questionable
WR Larry Fitzgerald (hamstring, limited participation in practice)
DT Robert Nkemdiche (knee, limited participation in practice)
DT Corey Peters (elbow, limited participation in practice)
OL Andre Smith (elbow limited participation in practice)
DT Olsen Pierre (toe, limited participation in practice)
The Seahawks face the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium for Week 9 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at photos from previous games between the two teams.
Phoenix Cardinals quarterback Gary Hogeboom can't find a receiver due to heavy defensive pressure from Seattle Seahawks (92) David Wyman and (72) Joe Nash during action in their pre-season game, Aug. 12, 1989 in Tempe, Arizona. The Seahawks proved too much for the Cardinals after the game went into overtime and lost 16-10. (AP Photo/Chad Surmick)
Running back Ron Moore (30) of the Phoenix Cardinals is held to a one yard gain as he is tackled by Cortez Kennedy (96) of the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 19, 1993. Watching the play is Joe Wolf (68) of the Cardinals. Phoenix beat Seattle in overtime, 30-27. (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Arizona Cardinals' Chris Gedney (84) takes in a pass while in the grasp of Seattle Seahawks' Fred Thomas (22), Sept. 13, 1998 in Seattle. The play went 23 yards but wasn't enough as Seattle won the game 33-14. (AP Photo/Jay Drowns)
Seattle Seahawks' Shawn Springs (24) intercepts a pass from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer in the second quarter Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. Seahawks' Reggie Williams, lower left, and Jeff George, far right, watch as Cardinals' Frank Sanders (81), Jason McAddley, top left, and Steve Bush, right rear, defend. It was the second interception of the half for Plummer. (AP Photo/Rob Schumacher)
Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Engram returns a punt for 48 yards with Arizona Cardinals' Quentin Harris chasing during the second quarter in Seattle Sunday Dec. 26, 2004. The return set up the first Seattle touchdown as it went on to win, 24-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Shaun Alexander dives into the end zone from the one-yard line for a touchdown with Arizona Cardinals' Adrian Wilson defending during the third quarter, in Seattle, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005. Alexander scored four touchdowns in the 37-12 win over the Cardinals. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner loses control of the ball but regains control as he is sacked by Seattle Seahawks' Darryl Tapp during the fourth quarter of a football game in Seattle, in this Sept. 17, 2006 file photo. One week after Warner was named NFC offensive player of the week in Arizona's season-opening victory over San Francisco, he was blamed, in part, by his coach for the offense's struggles in Sunday's 21-10 loss at Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals' Matt Leinart, center, gets a pass off as he is hit by Seattle Seahawks' Patrick Kerney, left, and Darryl Tapp in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 23-20. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals' Ralph Brown (20) knocks the ball away from intended receiver Seattle Seahawks' Koren Robinson in the end zone in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals in action against the Seattle Seahawks, November 15, 2009.
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch (24) leaves Arizona Cardinals' Greg Toler in the dust on a first-half run in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 22-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Sidney Rice, left, runs on a 23-yard pass reception as Arizona Cardinals' Kerry Rhodes (25) is kept back by Seahawks' Anthony McCoy, right, and Zach Miller in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 13-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb (4) gets off a pass as Seattle Seahawks' Jason Jones (90) closes in after getting past Cardinals' Adam Snyder (68) during an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 20-16. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Seattle Seahawks' Zach Miller, right, makes a catch for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals' Curtis Taylor (37) is near in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals' wide receiver Michael Floyd, right, as Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker K.J. Wright (50) looks on in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Brittan Golden (10) is hit by Seattle Seahawks cornerback DeAndre Elliott (21) and defensive back Neiko Thorpe (27) during the second half of a football game, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Referee Walt Coleman tosses the coin before an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Mike Davis (27) dives in for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker (36) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) catches the football in the end zone during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Seattle. The touchdown was later ruled incomplete. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 27-13. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (30) rushes against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny heads for the end zone with a 62-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
