Tyler Lockett catching passes, on a track to play for Seahawks vs Jets after hand surgery

His hand has stitches on it. It looks something like a boxing glove.

Yet Tyler Lockett is back on the Seahawks’ practice field, catching passes. The team captain and top wide receiver who had surgery last week to repair a broken left hand is determined to play Sunday when Seattle (7-8) tries to remain in playoff contention against the New York Jets (7-8) at Lumen Field.

“I’m good,” Lockett said, fist-bumping his way through the Seahawks’ locker room.

That was before practice Wednesday.

“I talked to him today. I think he is going to play,” Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks said Wednesday.

“He’s a warrior, man. His hand is swollen. He’s got stitches. But he’s a warrior.

“It’s going to be a big deal for us just seeing him in the locker room getting ready to play. Brings me a lot of joy knowing that he’s going to be on the other side of the ball playing, trying to help us win.”

Squeezing a yellow, lacrosse-like ball, Lockett did warm-up calisthenics with his teammates in the first part of the team’s outdoor practice the media could view Wednesday. Back in his usual spot as the last receiver in the warmup line, he caught a couple light, underhand tosses of the football from an assistant. Then he went inside to get more treatment on his left hand.

A specialist in Los Angeles repaired the spiral fracture in his first metacarpal Lockett injured diving trying to catch a low throw from quarterback Geno Smith Dec. 15, late in Seattle’s home loss to San Francisco.

Nine days after that surgery and a days staying in California to rehabilitate the hand, Lockett was in the Seahawks’ plans to play against the Jets having missed only one game. That was Seattle’s loss at Kansas City last weekend. The Seahawks missed Lockett particularly on third downs against the Chiefs; they converted just 2 of 14 tries to extend drives in a 24-10 loss.

“If you watched walk-through you wouldn’t know anything was going on. He did everything, in walk-through,” coach Pete Carroll said.

“We’ll be careful with him in practices, and make sure we find out what his limits are. But he looked great, throwing and catching and all that stuff.

“So we’ll see. We’re going to go one day at a time. We’re not going to let him work hard (Wednesday) at practice, just because it seems crazy that he would go this quick. ...

“But...a really good first sign.”

The fact Lockett was catching passes with no pain four days before the game is a strong indicator he will play Sunday. Carroll had indicated the Seahawks might not know until the weekend if Lockett can catch passes and hold onto the ball without pain.

“This is a remarkable story, now. And he is writing it right now for us,” Carroll said. “He’s not even wavering. He doesn’t even...he’s not even fazed by it.”

It’s remarkable, that is, to those on the outside.

To DK Metcalf, Lockett’s friend and fellow Seahawks wide receiver, this is not a surprise.

“No,” Metcalf said, “I was actually surprised that he didn’t want to play in Kansas City, because he had the surgery.

“Tyler’s tough. The play he hurt his (hand), he was still out there running routes and trying to get the ball.

“It doesn’t surprise me, at all.”