On Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett’s role was limited to just his duties as the team’s primary receiving option.
Typically, Lockett is also responsible for returning both punts and kicks, a role he has held ever since he was an All-Pro special teamer back in 2016, his rookie season.
However, after suffering a lower leg injury in Week 10 against the 49ers, Seattle decided to let David Moore return punts and rookie running back Travis Homer return kicks, giving Lockett a bit of a breather.
Homer in particular looked excellent on his one return opportunity, gaining 29 yards. It has been a long time coming to see him in that position, and coach Pete Carroll made it clear it won’t be the last time we see him back there.
“We’ve been grooming Homer for some time now,” Carroll said on Monday. “We’ve been really wanting him to take this spot for us and be a kickoff return guy. He got one good shot, and he just roared it up in there just like you like to see. I like the fact that he’s a running back and he has all of the skills and training to take care of the football and all that, and he really hits it. He had a 29-yard return and smoked it up in there really nice.”
The Seahawks talked a lot in the preseason about transitioning Lockett away from return duties in order to preserve his health, but it took a scary leg injury for them to actually make moves – a sign they may not have felt Moore and/or Homer were ready.
They both looked ready on Sunday though, and it’s possible they take those jobs and run with them for the rest of the season, freeing up Lockett to focus exclusively on the Pro Bowl caliber season he’s having as a receiver and limiting injury risk for the veteran.
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