Abe Lucas’ slow path post-knee surgery longer than Seahawks expected. A new tackle emerges

Other, fellow offensive linemen were throwing rolled-up t-shirts, miniature footballs and other souvenirs from the field into the throng of screaming fans a few dozen yards away.

Abe Lucas was doing what he’s been doing all spring and summer during Seahawks practices. He was watching, idling, on the first day of training camp Wednesday.

The team’s starting right tackle then walked off the field and headed toward the locker room. On his way to the door leading into Seahawks headquarters, fans began screaming to him.

“Abe! Abe Lucas!” kids yelled.

The Everett native and former Washington State Cougar approached and began signing autographs for them. An older man said to him: “Best right tackle in the game.”

Lucas smiled — almost ruefully.

Seattle’s most consistent offensive lineman the last two seasons — on a unit that needs a few more of those guys in 2024 — can’t practice right now. He is behind where his team had hoped he’d be as he recovers from offseason knee surgery.

Mike Macdonald said that on Wednesday. The new coach reiterated the Seahawks don’t know when Lucas will be on the field for the first time since he last played a game, New Year’s Eve eight months ago.

That day, Seattle lost a home game against Pittsburgh, lost all realistic hope to make the playoffs — and lost Lucas, for who knows how long.

“It’s tough with Abe,” Macdonald said Wednesday following his first training-camp practice as a head coach, at any level. “The thing that’s tough with Abe is he works incredibly hard. And, so, it’s a process right now.

“Timetable (on his return)? I can’t tell you. But we’re looking at it. We are trying to get there as fast as we can.

“I think it would be fair to say that we were hoping it would go a little faster up to this point.”

Macdonald said “we have a plan” for Lucas’ eventual return. His knee willing and able, that is. Previous coach Pete Carroll called Lucas’ knee issue “chronic” while the tackle struggled playing through it last season. Lucas missed 11 of Seattle’s 17 games in the 2023 season, his second since the team drafted him in the third-round in 2022.

Asked if the team had any concern Lucas may not be ready to play in the Seahawks’ opening game Sept. 8 against Denver at Lumen Field, Macdonald said: “I mean, if he’s not out here are you concerned that things can go and take a bad turn? Yeah, you are always thinking about that.

“But I wouldn’t say that is exclusive to Abe.”

Yet it does apply to Lucas.

Lucas is able to run in straight lines, Macdonald said, just no football-related training yet. Lucas is in the team facility daily, studying the new offensive playbook with teammates and getting treatment and training on his knee.

He is missing the new teachings in drills by new offensive line coach Scott Huff, who arrived this offseason from the University of Washington. Lucas is missing the installation and excecution of the new plays and protection schemes of new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. Grubb came with Huff from UW onto Macdonald’s staff of 21 new Seahawks assistant coaches this offseason.

No, with all that’s new, it’s not the best training camp for Lucas or any starter to be missing.

McClendon Curtis’ chance

George Fant, in his ninth NFL training camp at age 32, began the scrimmages on training camp’s first day as the starting right tackle, for Lucas. Later in Wednesday’s practice McClendon Curtis was the number-one right tackle.

Curtis had been the starting right guard during offseason practices this spring. That was while Anthony Bradford was out with an ankle injury.

Bradford is back from that. He was the starting right guard Wednesday.

Raiqwon O’Neal, who was the starting right tackle in minicamp last month, was the second left guard behind starter Laken Tomlinson.

Curtis, a 24-year-old pickup off the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad last September, is impressing Seahawks coaches with his ability to play multiple positions on the line. That’s the inside track to making rosters and starting lineups, when need be.

Need be right now for Seattle.

“I think he’s had a great offseason,” Macdonald said of the 6-foot-6, 335-pound Curtis. “He’s working his butt off.

“It’s tough when you aren’t in one spot all the time. So kudos to him for the execution he’s had and where his mind has been and the shape that he’s in. Right now, probably a little more right tackle than inside (at guard), based on the roster.”

That was another hint Lucas may remain out a while at right tackle.

“Again, we’re so early in those things,” Macdonald said, of Curtis and setting the right side of the vital offensive line. “But the more movement you can have, the more flexibility, especially early in camp, that’s pretty good.”