The Seattle Seahawks had a rough few days on the injury front, including fullback Derrick Coleman breaking his foot in warm-up drills Sunday at St. Louis. But several key players could return this week.
Starting cornerback Byron Maxwell, who has a strained calf, could be back, along with backup cornerback Tharold Simon, who suffered a sprained ankle in St. Louis is his first NFL start.
"It blew up, but it's not a bad sprain," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Simon. "He's popping around pretty good [Monday], so he has a chance, and Maxey has a chance to get back, too. We'll see."
Carroll also said starting center Max Unger, who has missed the last two games with a foot injury, could return, but starting tight end Zach Miller (ankle surgery) still is out.
"Max is working at it," Carroll said. "He's doing some stuff this week and we'll see as the week goes along. Zach is a little farther away. He's still in a boot right now, so he's not that close yet."
Carroll expects back-up tight end Luke Willson to return after suffering a groin strain in practice last Wednesday and missing Sunday's game.
"He almost made it back [for the Rams game]," Carroll said. "But we felt like it was better to hold him out with the chance to be back fully this week."
Carroll said back-up defensive tackle Jordan Hill who missed Sunday's game with a sprained ankle, will practice on Wednesday. But middle linebacker Bobby Wagner still is out. He is wearing a cast over a turf toe injury.
"It's going to be a while," Carroll said of Wagner's status.
Jeremy Lane, Seattle's starting nickel cornerback who was placed on injured reserve/designated to return at the start of the season with a groin injury, will return to practice this week. But Lane can't come off IR until the New York Giants game on Nov. 9.
The one area where the Seahawks may need to make a roster move is at fullback since Coleman is the only true fullback on the roster and will be out at least six weeks. Running back Robert Turbin filled in a fullback Sunday.
Carroll was asked if former Seattle fullback Michael Robinson was an option. When the Seahawks didn't re-sign him after last season, Robinson retired and now works as an analyst for the NFL Network.
"He's doing a really good job in the media right now and he's quite busy," Carroll said of Robinson. "He seems to be very well-grooved in his business."