Via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he’s encouraged by the Tyler Lockett's return from last December’s broken leg, and may hold him out of the last two preseason games just to be on the safe side.

“He has competed in practice throughout this week,” Carroll said. “He has looked very confident. He has looked fast. I am still watching him, though. I still want to make sure we are taking all the time we have available.

“There is no reason to rush him. He is a fantastic competitor. He knows what we are doing. He is well-schooled on everything we are asking him to do. We love the player that he is. So we are just going to make sure we continue to maximize his security and safety for his return. So that’s what we are doing.”

Carroll is one of the best hype men in the NFL coaching ranks, but it is good to hear that Lockett is working his way back. He's a high-upside pick in the 13th round after being drafted in the 7th round last year. Fundamentally, not much has changed in the Seattle passing game since then.

Tyler Lockett (leg) is "ahead of schedule" in his recovery and should be ready to go for Week 1, ESPN's Mike Clay reports.

There's been plenty of optimism that Lockett, who's on the mend from a compound fracture to his left fibula suffered in late January, will be ready to go for the start of the 2017 campaign, and this report only reinforces that notion. However, there doesn't seem to be any certainty in regard to his return date. Seattle enters the offseason program with the starting job opposite Doug Baldwin "wide open," according to ESPN's Sheil Kapadia, but Lockett likely won't even have a shot if he's out of commission most of the summer. Thus, the third-year wideout has plenty of incentive to return to the field as quick as possible in order to join Paul Richardson, Jermaine Kearse and potentially a draft pick or two for what could evolve into a heated competition for the No. 2 wide receiver spot.

Lockett averaged 12.9 PPG (PPR) from Week 10 to Week 15, before breaking his leg in Week 16. In that span, he converted 21 of 35 targets for 345 yards and a touchdown. He also added four carries for 99 yards and a touchdown. Paul Richardson stepped up in his absence, so the two, along with Jermaine Kearse, will compete for snaps alongside Doug Baldwin.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett had surgery early Sunday morning to repair a fractured tibia and fibula in his right leg, coach Pete Carroll said.

"He had a great surgery, and they say in four to six weeks, he'll be up, moving and getting on the AlterG [treadmill] and working and all that," Carroll said on 710 ESPN Seattle's "Brock and Salk" show. "So it's a very secure job they did. They've got some issues with infection and stuff they have to fight right now to make sure he comes through clean. That's because there was a little break in the skin. But other than that, he's got a chance to have a great recovery."

Carroll said later in the day that Lockett should be ready for the start of training camp.

Head coach Pete Carroll announced during his post-game press conference that wide receiver Tyler Lockett would require surgery for his right leg injury, which would end his 2016 campaign.

"Yes, it is fair to say that," Carroll said, when asked if the surgery would end Lockett's season.

Related players: Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse

Lockett injured his leg during a would-be 29-yard touchdown reception where cornerback Brandon Williams came down awkwardly on the wide receiver's right leg. The injury required Lockett to be stabilized on the field and put in air cast, eventually leading to him being carted off. Eventually, the touchdown would be overturned with the ball placed on the one-yard line to add insult to injury. As a result, his absence led to an increase workload for wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, who had previously been demoted down the depth chart in favor of Lockett.

On the Seattle Seahawks' second offensive play last week, Russell Wilson decided to take a shot deep to wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who was matched up with New England Patriots cornerback Justin Coleman.

"It was just being able to try to get an outside or inside release, just be aggressive and give him something," Lockett said. "He jumped outside, so I slipped him inside and tried to get vertical and stack him, and Russell put a great ball on [me]. The safety was coming, he got his hand in there, but I was able to secure it and get the first down."

It was Lockett's first explosive play since Week 2, when he suffered a knee injury in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The injury clearly has slowed Lockett down, but he showed signs in last week's game to suggest he's making significant improvement, the story said. It also quoted HC Pete Carroll as saying Lockett is finally back and running fast and confident and able to practice at a high level. This week's matchup is a nice one against an Eagles secondary that is a bit banged up.