The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the 2013 season with "Super" expectations after making the playoffs with an 11-5 record and defeating the Washington Redskins in the Wild Card round last year and as the team hits training camp things are getting even more intense, as this year Russell Wilson is the starter from the outset.
Last season Wilson came into camp as a rookie and flashed his skills in competition with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson, two quarterbacks that are no longer with the team and basically shows why he won the job in the first place. Wilson won over coach Pete Carroll and after surprising everyone last season, the team has Super Bowl expectations and that comes as another team in their division is in the same boat in the San Francisco 49ers. Wilson will have a full camp to work with the first offense and after adding Percy Harvin the team will be more explosive on offense, but that will all depend on how his hip heals up.
Reports have come out that Harvin will have surgery on the hip and while the procedure hasn't been done yet, some predictions say he could be out for at least three to four months, meaning he couldn't be back until November at least. The Seahawks had a high-powered offense last season with Wilson, Sidney Rice and Marshawn Lynch that was without Harvin and they will need to rely on that again. The timetable for his return is an estimate since doctors won't know until they see what the hip looks like and how the surgery goes, but either way it takes some wind out of the sails for the Seahawks.
Harvin currently is on the physically unable to perform list and can stay there under NFL rules until the end of August and if he stays on he will miss the first six games, which likely will happen anyway. What happens after that is important, as Harvin would have five weeks to start practicing before being able to join the main roster or miss the rest of the season. Depending on what happens with his recovery, Harvin's likely return (if it even comes) will likely be sometime between Week 7 and Week 15. Golden Tate showed flashes of explosive play last season and he will have an opportunity to step up again with Harvin out for at least half the season.
Harvin has dealt with injuries during his entire career in Minnesota with the Vikings, including last season when he was put on injured reserve after hurting his ankle in a game against Seattle. Harvin was looking like an MVP candidate until that point and of course his teammate Adrian Peterson took over from there. Rice is also dealing with a knee issue this offseason and Carroll said that the receiver is not expected to miss anytime in the preseason. Last year Rice was one of Wilson's most reliable wide receivers and made 50 receptions for 748 yards and seven touchdowns.