Getty The Seattle Seahawks could start the season without Will Dissly.
As Seattle Seahawks tight end Will Dissly continues to recover from an Achilles injury, there appears to be some thought that the tight end will begin the season on the injured list. During his latest Seahawks roster projections, ESPN’s Brady Henderson has Dissly starting the season on the PUP list which would mean the tight end would miss at least the first six weeks.
“Will Dissly (Achilles) and fourth-round pick Colby Parkinson (foot) are candidates to begin the season on the PUP and non-football injury list, respectively, which would help Willson,” Henderson explains.
The good news is the Seahawks added a lot of depth at tight end over the offseason. This depth has already taken a hit with rookie Colby Parkinson sustaining a broken foot during an offseason workout.
“Seahawks fourth-round pick TE Colby Parkinson suffered a broken fifth metatarsal in his foot while running a route this offseason, source said,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported in June. “The Stanford product had surgery on the Jones fracture on June 2 and has been in Seattle rehabbing the ailment.”
Prior to Dissly’s injury, he established a strong connection with Russell Wilson as the team’s starting tight end. Dissly had 23 receptions for 262 yards and four touchdowns in six games before his season was cut short.
Greg Olsen Is the Favorite to be the Seahawks Starting Tight End
All this makes former Pro Bowler Greg Olsen even more of a favorite to be the Seahawks starting tight end. The Seahawks are hoping to use more two tight end sets this season, but this could be delayed if Dissly starts the season on the injured list. Olsen noted earlier this offseason that he plans to play as much as the Seahawks need him.
“I’m going to play every snap until they take me out,” Olsen said, per The Seattle Times. “That’s just always how I’ve approached it. And that’s not going to change now.”
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll believes fans will see instant chemistry between Olsen and Wilson. The Seahawks quarterback had been vocal on social media about his desire for the team to sign the tight end.
“They have communicated and been together at a couple of different things that they connect at a very high level about going for it and practicing and the plan, the concepts and the meaning of what it takes to get the work done,” Carroll told Seahawks.com. “He’s just on a high level. So we are very fortunate to have him. I think he will make a very fast transition. He and Russell will work over the summertime, in the summertime that comes up they will be together often, I don’t think there is any ceiling we should put on their ability to get together I’m really excited about that.
Previous Reports Indicated the Seahawks Were Expecting Dissly Back for the Start of the Season
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported in February that the Seahawks were expecting Dissly to return for the start of the season. It is important to note that Henderson is simply making roster projections, but it does indicate the Seahawks may take a more cautious approach with Dissly given his injury history. The addition of Olsen also means the team has less pressure to rush Dissly back.
Seattle also has Jacob Hollister and Luke Willson rounding out the tight end group as well. Carroll praised Dissly’s “grit” during his NFL Combine press conference in February.
“Everything’s going great, he’s been doing a fantastic job,” Carroll noted to USA Today. “He proved to us before that he knows how to just grit his way through this thing. He’s doing marvelous work, so he’ll be back. We’ve just got to take care of him when he gets back and hopefully he can find the sticking power.”
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