Seahawks' Tyler Lockett to Return vs. Jets? Pete Carroll Answers 'Question'

Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett will be needed now more than ever as his team faces do-or-die circumstances. But his status for Sunday's meeting with the New York Jets remains up in the air.

The Seattle Seahawks lacked the offensive firepower necessary to upset Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a 24-10 loss at Arrowhead on Saturday. Seattle's first trip to the end zone didn't come until about two minutes left in the game.

Now in obvious win-now mode - as if they weren't already - the Seahawks (7-8) will need all the offensive contributions they can get ahead of Sunday's meeting with the New York Jets (7-8) at Lumen Field.

The return of star receiver Tyler Lockett, who missed Saturday's loss after undergoing hand surgery, is an obvious necessity for Seattle and quarterback Geno Smith. There remains questions surrounding his availability for a must-win game, but Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has the answers.

"The question will be, what it feels like to catch the ball and hang onto it," Carroll said. "I’m sure that we are going to take all of the time that we can, so we might not know that answer until way late in the week, but he will be ready to go otherwise as far as the gameplan.”

For a veteran like Lockett, getting back into the swing of things after a one-week absence projects to be a breeze. After all, he's shown he's still an elite receiver in his first full season with Smith this year.

So at this point, who needs practice?

“He does not need to necessarily practice," Carroll said. "If anybody could go through the gameplan, walkthroughs, and stuff, because he won’t miss any of that, he can run around."

Even without his long-time quarterback and alongside a fellow star pass-catcher in DK Metcalf, Lockett has still managed to post elite numbers during a season where a decline in Seattle's offense was somewhat expected.

He's tied for third in touchdown grabs (eight) while adding 78 catches for 964 yards. Despite missing Week 16, there's a realistic shot he could match or surpass career-high marks during the final two weeks of the season if he returns against the Jets.

But for now, despite some optimism, his return is unconfirmed for Sunday's kickoff at 1:05 p.m. PT.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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