Ask an NFL veteran and they'll tell you it's hard to stay off the injury report forever. For Seahawks live mascot Taima, the time has finally come. Taima recently underwent surgery to remove a granuloma mass from his left foot. The procedure, performed by Dr. Marci Logsdon DVM, an exotic animal specialist at the Washington State University Veterinarian Hospital, was deemed a success, and Taima is already back at home with his handler, David Knutson, in Spokane, Wash.

According to Knutson, the mass had been slowly growing over the past two years, eventually reaching the approximate size of a jelly bean, at which point Taima was brought to WSU for further evaluation. WSU's Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory ultimately determined it to be an inflammatory response to a small foreign body such as a splinter or thorn, and while they believed the mass to be benign, the recommendation was to move forward with the surgery.

The procedure was performed on March 15, and Taima is expected to be back to 100% in a matter of weeks, leaving plenty of time for his offseason training.

"His surgery went very, very well, and fortunately the mass was not cancerous," Logsdon told WSU Insider. "He should be all ready to go for the season opener and another Super Bowl run for the Seahawks."

"I was so relieved that Dr. Marci Logsdon DVM and WSU Veterinary Hospital was available and willing to perform this procedure," said Knutson. "She is an expert with exotic animal veterinarian science like raptors. Her team took great care of Taima throughout this medical procedure and Taima is now recovering very well at home. He should be ready to get back in action in no time."

Taima has been part of the Seahawks family since debuting in 2005 just a few months after hatching, and plays an integral role in the countdown to kickoff, taking flight from the Seahawks tunnel to help lead the team onto the field. Taima also makes various appearances at Seahawks events throughout the year, posing for photos and accepting pets from fans.