Seahawks expect Baldwin to play Week 1; Jordan iffy

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin is expected to be ready to play in the team's regular-season opener, coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday.

Baldwin has been shut down due to a sore knee that has been an issue since prior to start of training camp.

While Carroll told 710 ESPN that he expects Baldwin to be on the field against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 9, the coach is not as confident in the status of defensive end Dion Jordan. Jordan is sidelined with what Carroll called a "stress issue" in his shin.

"Doug, for sure," Carroll said. "Dion, we won't know until we get him back out. We know exactly what's going on with Doug. He's going to be able to make it back barring setbacks of some kind."

Baldwin was named to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement after he recorded a team-leading 75 receptions for 991 yards and eight touchdowns in 2017.

It marked the third consecutive season with at least 75 catches for the 29-year-old Baldwin, who set career highs with 94 receptions and 1,128 yards in 2016 while also earning Pro Bowl honors.

Baldwin emerged as one of the league's top wideouts in 2014 when he had his first 1,000-yard season (1,069) on 78 receptions while establishing a career best with 14 touchdown catches.

An undrafted free agent out of Stanford, Baldwin has spent his first seven seasons with the Seahawks. He has 443 receptions and 44 touchdown catches while starting 77 of 110 games.

Baldwin has appeared in 12 postseason games with Seattle, hauling in 55 catches for 702 yards and six touchdowns.

Jordan, who is on the physically unable to perform list, has appeared in only five games over the past three seasons -- all with Seattle in 2017. The 28-year-old had four sacks and forced a fumble in those five games without starting any of them.

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, Jordan missed all of the 2015 or 2016 seasons because of a suspension and a knee injury, and has had at least two previous knee surgeries.