Pete Carroll joined KIRO Radio 97.3 FM's Dori Monson on Friday morning and the Seahawks head coach shared a bit more information on Ricardo Lockette's latest condition. The wide receiver returned to Seattle this past Monday following the surgery he underwent last week in Dallas. Lockette paid a visit to team headquarters on Tuesday.
"He's upbeat and positive and he's not going to be denied of what he wants to do and get done," Carroll said of Lockette. "He's just such a wonderful kid and we just loved him in the program. He's really been with us a long time and been through a lot to get to where he's become such an essential part of our team, so he made everybody else feel good. It's so often that's the case. So this was kind of a hero again to us. So it was fun to see him and support him and get him to feel comfortable getting back in."
Lockette's surgery, which stabilized ligament damage in his neck that he suffered during a hit in Seattle's Week 8 win over the Cowboys, will end his 2015 season early. His long-term football prognosis is still unknown, but despite the injury Carroll said he expects Lockette to continue to be around the club when he's ready.
"We always welcome our guys," Carroll said. "We're always looking for ways to help our guys get better and to grow and to learn and all of that. So when he's ready to do that we told him we're ready for him to come on back and we'll put him to work in a sense. But he is a very connected player with both sides of the ball and everybody on this team, so we want him around us as much as possible."
Carroll's full interview with Monson is embedded for you above, where the Seattle coach also touches on this week's Sunday Night Football matchup with the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals.
32 regular season games. 16 wins for the Seahawks. 16 wins for the Cardinals. Take a look back at the photos and scores from each game before their rubber match this Sunday night at CenturyLink Field.
Phoenix Cardinals quarterback Gary Hogeboom can't find a receiver due to heavy defensive pressure from Seattle Seahawks (92) David Wyman and (72) Joe Nash during action in their pre-season game, Aug. 12, 1989 in Tempe, Arizona. The Seahawks proved too much for the Cardinals after the game went into overtime and lost 16-10. (AP Photo/Chad Surmick)
Running back Ron Moore (30) of the Phoenix Cardinals is held to a one yard gain as he is tackled by Cortez Kennedy (96) of the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 19, 1993. Watching the play is Joe Wolf (68) of the Cardinals. Phoenix beat Seattle in overtime, 30-27. (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Seattle Seahawks tight end Trey Junkin (83) runs a pass pattern during an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals in Tempe, Oct. 29, 1995. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 20-14 at Sun Devil Stadium. (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
Arizona Cardinals Chris Gedney (84) takes in a pass while in the grasp of Seattle Seahawks Fred Thomas (22) and goes for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Sept. 13, 1998 in Seattle. The play went 23 yards but wasnt enough as Seattle won the game 33-14. (AP Photo/Jay Drowns)
Arizona Cardinals' Thomas Jomes evades a diving Seattle Seahawks' Reggie Tongue to run 58 yards for a touchdown during the third quarter in the Cardinals 24-13 win over the Seahawks in Seattle Sunday Sept. 15, 2002. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals running back Marcel Shipp (31) is surrounded by Seattle Seahawks defenders November 10, 2002 at Sun Devils Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 27 - 6. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Arizona Cardinals punter Scott Player (10) punts during a week 10 NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Phoenix, Arizona on November 10, 2002. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 27-6. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Engram returns a punt for 48 yards with Arizona Cardinals' Quentin Harris chasing during the second quarter in Seattle Sunday Dec. 26, 2004. The return set up the first Seattle touchdown as the go on to win, 24-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks kicker Josh Brown, top, knocks the ball out of the end zone to avoid a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals' Gerald Hayes, rear, and Renaldo Hill, rear right, pursue, after Brown had his punt blocked in the fourth quarter Sunday, Oct. 24, 2004, in Tempe, Ariz. The Cardinals got a safety on the play in their 25-17 win. (AP Photo/Roy Dabner)
Arizona Cardinals Josh McCown making a play with the ball in a game verse the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday December 26, 2004 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin Reece)
Seattle Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin, left, and Kelly Herdon, background right, break up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals' Anquan Boldin during the first quarter Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks Andre Dyson, rear, pulls down Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald after a short gain during the first quarter Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Seattle Seahawks punter Ryan Plackemeier kicks from the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter of a football game in Seattle, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2006. the Seahawks won 21-10. (AP Photo//John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald, rear, pulls down a touchdown pass as Seattle Seahawks' Marcus Trufant (23) defends during the fourth quarter of their football game Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won, 27-21. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals' Calvin Pace, rear right, Darnell Dockett, left, and Antonio Smith, center, pursue Seattle Seahawks' quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Seattle Seahawks' Rocky Bernard, bottom left, trips-up Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (13) as Julian Peterson (59) slams into him from above during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007, in Seattle. The play was ruled as a sack and the quarterback down before the ball was loose. The Seahawks won, 42-21. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
SEATTLE - NOVEMBER 16: Running back Julius Jones #22 of the Seattle Seahawks gets pulled down against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday November 16, 2008 in Seattle, Washington. The Cardinals won the game 26-20. (AP Photo/Thomas E. Witte) Julius Jones
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Courtney Taylor has his pass broken up by Arizona Cardinals' Roderick Hod (26) during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald stretches out to make an acrobatic catch while Seattle's Kelly Jennings defends.
The Seahawks defeated the Arizona Cardinals 36-18 to move into first place in the NFC West.
