Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett came off the Physically Unable to Perform list Friday and hit the practice field with teammates on Day 5 of training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Wash.
Lockett, who sustained a leg injury in the Seahawks' Week 16 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals last season, was not a full participant Friday, but fielded punts, ran routes and did more running on the field as the team completed practice.
"It felt pretty good," Lockett said about returning to the field. "When I was a kid I had a dog and when you got to train it, you got to keep him in a little cage and I felt like I was stuck in a cage for eight months after being out and breaking my leg. So as soon as they let me go today I didn't know to do. I was just running around, having fun, and being a little kid again. Being able to be out there with my teammates and everything, which is a great feeling for me. It felt good being able to run routes again and catch balls from Russell (Wilson) and everybody. I had a great time for the first day."
Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said the plan is to steadily work Lockett forward as the season progresses.
"I think today he did individual and install, they'll just kind of start to continue moving him along," Bevell said. "There'll be periods like today where once he was done with that, then he goes and gets his conditioning in, but we're excited to have him back out there. He has such an energy about him and optimistic outlook on life, he's really a great guy to have around."
Lockett played the majority of 2016 less than 100 percent due to a knee injury that came in Week 2 well before he hurt his leg. He caught 41 passes for 597 yards and one touchdown.
After practice Lockett said he spent the majority of his rehab time in Seattle and a short time back home in Oklahoma. The third-year wide receiever said that having to stay back in Seattle and not be with family members during the process was the toughest part.
"I didn't get to see my family, I didn't get to see my friends or anybody like that," Lockett said. "I could go through an injury, I have no problem with that. But, not being able to go through it with the people who've been there for me is probably the hardest part just because I love my family, I enjoy my family, they have been with me for the whole entire ride. Ever since high school, whatever injury I had they were always there with me the whole entire time. This was probably the first major injury I've had that none of them were really there as much. But, I mean, they did a great job of staying with me at the hospital, taking turns to fly out there and take care of me, I couldn't do nothing."
Added Bevell: "We love these guys, you spend so much time with them each and every day, so when something happens to somebody, particularly in that manner, you feel for him, you feel for his career, and you feel for his family. To see him be able to come back the way that he has and really attack the offseason and the rehab that he needed to do, and to see him back out here at training camp is a special thing."
Whether or not Lockett will be in uniform for the Seahawks' season opener against the Green Bay Packers on September 9 remains to be seen, but there's no doubt in his mind that if the game — or any — were tomorrow, he'd be ready.
"Yeah, I mean I'm pretty much ready to go," Lockett said when asked if he's back to full speed. "If we had the game tomorrow, I'd play in it.
"I don't know what they have planned for me but I mean like I said, I just know I am preparing myself as if I am about to play in a game so, whatever they have me doing out here is exactly what I'm going to do, whether it's just running routes or it's running extra while they are running routes, getting them plays in. Whatever it is they want me to do, I'm willing to do it because I realize they are trying to help benefit me to get me ready for the conditioning and the things I'm going to expect when I go back out there."
Photos of receiver Tyler Lockett and cornerback DeShawn Shead working their way back from the injuries that ended their 2016 seasons early.