Seahawks activate Tyler Lockett off reserve/COVID-19 list one week after testing positive
Seven days after he tested positive for the coronavirus, Tyler Lockett is back to play for the Seahawks.
The NFL’s official transactions for Thursday showed Seattle activated their record-setting wide receiver from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Lockett is on track to play Sunday when the Seahawks (5-9) host the Chicago Bears (4-10) at Lumen Field.
Lockett missed Seattle’s loss Tuesday at the Los Angeles Rams that doomed any realistic hopes the Seahawks were holding to make the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 seasons.
“It took him a little while to get over COVID,” Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said after Lockett’s return to practicing Thursday. “It’s a real thing. It’s a real thing out there.”
He says Lockett told him he “feels great again.”
Lockett reported symptoms last Thursday and immediately got tested in the parking lot of the Seahawks’ facility in Renton. His positive result was after he had a negative COVID test during his team’s twice-weekly testing.
Coach Pete Carroll said after Lockett had “a tough day” that first day of his positive test. It took a full week before Lockett got the two negative tests the NFL requires for players to test back into full playing status following a positive case of COVID-19.
Lockett returns a day after Alex Collins, Seattle’s leading rusher this season, returned from the COVID list. Collins tested positive the same day Lockett did last week.
Without Lockett for the game at Los Angeles Tuesday, Russell Wilson targeted DK Metcalf 12 times. The Rams were emboldened to have All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey shadowing Metcalf for much of the game, without having to defend Lockett’s huge-play ability. Ramsey held Metcalf to two catches in seven targets while strictly covering him, according to NFL NextGen Stats.
“I am sick that we didn’t have a chance to play with Tyler in this game,” Carroll said after it Tuesday. “He would’ve been a factor in, for sure.”
The Seahawks had a plane ready to whisk Lockett to southern California after he tested against Tuesday morning. But he was unable to get the two negative COVID tests required to return to play.
“Tyler’s one of the best players we’ve ever seen and he wasn’t there (Tuesday),” Carroll said. “He didn’t quite make it back. He was battling all the way (Tuesday) morning. He would’ve flown up here in the morning if he could have passed his test. He couldn’t get it done. But we were competing at it.”
In the game before he tested positive, Lockett was again the best player on the field in Seattle’s win at Houston. That day Dec. 12 he joined Hall of Famer Steve Largent as the only Seahawks with three consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving.
The NFL transactions for Thursday did not show any Seahawks going onto the COVID list. The team still had nine players on it: tight end Will Dissly, starting cornerback D.J. Reed, starting right tackle Brandon Shell, defensive end Kerry Hyder, defensive tackle Bryan Mone and running back Travis Homer — plus practice-squad players center Pier-Olivier Lestage, tight end Ryan Izzo and cornerback Mike Jackson.
This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Seahawks activate Tyler Lockett off reserve/COVID-19 list one week after testing positive."
