Seahawks WR Baldwin calls knee '80 to 85 percent'

A sore left knee has kept Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin out of practice for much of the last month, but he is back on the field and expects to be ready when the Seahawks open the season Sept. 9 against Denver.

"I'm probably about 80 to 85 percent right now and the truth of the matter is it won't be 100 percent," said Baldwin, Seattle's No. 1 receiver. "It's something I've got to deal with for the rest of the season."

Baldwin will not play Thursday in the final preseason tuneup against Oakland.

The team hasn't said much about Baldwin's condition. Coach Pete Carroll has referred to it only as a sore knee. Baldwin wouldn't answer directly when reporters asked him Tuesday if he has had surgery.

"It depends on your definition of surgery," he said.

He made it clear the condition is not going to go away, however.

"It will be something we have to manage throughout the course of the year. It will be day to day," Baldwin said.

Baldwin, who turns 30 next month, practiced just two days at the opening of training camp. He said his knee started bothering him in spring OTAs. He didn't take part in Seattle's mandatory minicamp in June.

He has had to learn new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's offense from the sidelines and while that wasn't optimal, he said he isn't worried.

"Obviously I would have liked to have some game reps and more practice because I am a rep guy and especially now with the new offense," Baldwin said. "I would like to get the physical reps, especially with the quarterback trying to get that chemistry and build that rapport. I've been playing football since I was little. It's really not that much different for me. I've been in the league now going on eight years, at this point, it should be like riding a bike."

In 2016, Baldwin caught a career-high 94 passes, seven of them for touchdowns. Seattle struggled offensively last season and his total dropped to 75 receptions.

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