Brandon Shell activated from reserve/COVID-19 list

While the Seahawks had to be without starting right tackle Brandon Shell in Week 17 after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, there was optimism it would be a brief absence. Pete Carroll told reporters after Shell and Damarious Randall were placed on the list that they were the result of close contacts, rather than positive tests for the players.

Now, with Seattle set to begin practice ahead of their wild card round meeting against the L.A. Rams, they will have Shell back on the field, after the team announced he was activated on Tuesday.

Shell’s return to the 53-man roster comes a day after Carroll said both he and Mike Iupati, who has missed two games with a neck injury, would be available for Saturday.

Hopefully, Shell’s return from the reserve/COVID-19 list will end an in-and-out few weeks for the right tackle. After suffering a high-ankle sprain, Shell missed two games and then re-aggravated the injury in Week 14 against the Jets, which forced him out of the next two games as well. The extra week off may help Shell get fully past the injury, ahead of the biggest game of the season.

In addition to Shell’s activation on Tuesday, the Seahawks announced tackle Wyatt Miller was released from the practice squad. Signed in the middle of December, Miller was not elevated for any games prior to his release.