RENTON Wash. – Seattle Seahawks starting tight end Zach Miller will not play this weekend because of his ongoing recovery from ankle surgery, but he will travel with the team to North Carolina to see foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson.

"He's doing better," coach Pete Carroll said of Miller on Wednesday. "He was here working out, rehabbing here this morning. It's been a little bit slower than we would have hoped and not as comfortable getting going on it, but everything worked well in the surgery. Hopefully, he'll make a good turn here where we should see him get better quickly."

But Miller' recovery, from what was described as minor ankle surgery, is taking much longer than originally thought. Early reports suggested Miller might return in two or three weeks. But Sunday will be the fourth game he has missed, and it could be more.

That's probably why the Seahawks claimed tight end Brett Brackett off waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday, even though backup tight end Luke Willson returned to practice Wednesday after missing the St. Louis game last weekend with a groin injury.

Bracket (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) is a former Penn State player who is known as more of a receiving tight end than a blocker.

"From what I've seen on film, he's an all-around tight end, good catcher, good route runner and I have seen him block," Carroll said of Brackett. "So we'll see what happens. It's the first day. I can't tell you much more than that."

Cornerback Tharold Simon, who started for injured Byron Maxwell at St. Louis, practiced full speed Wednesday after leaving the game Sunday with a sprained ankle.

Along with Miller, fullback Derrick Coleman (broken foot) and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (turf toe) are out for an indefinite amount of time. Carroll also said he doesn't expect backup defensive tackle Jordan Hill to play this week because of his sprained ankle.

Maxwell (strained calf) and center Max Unger (foot injury) also did not practice Wednesday.

"Maxey is ahead of Max Unger," Carroll said. "We will see how [Maxwell] is [Thursday]. Unger is on the track to getting back, but we don't know when yet."

Strong safety Kam Chancellor did not practice because of his continuing ankle issues, but he did play the entire game at St. Louis. Running back Marshawn Lynch had his usual day to rest Wednesday and didn't practice.

Running back Robert Turbin, who now is Seattle's starting fullback because of Coleman's injury, was limited in practice because of a shoulder injury.