SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks have activated right tackle Abe Lucas from the physically unable to perform list as of Wednesday, paving the way for his potential first start of the 2023 season.

Lucas was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft from Washington State and made significant contributions during his rookie year by starting in 16 games. However, his performance was hampered last season due to a knee injury that limited him to just six appearances.

His last game was on December 31 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, after which he underwent knee surgery in January to address his injury.

Seattle’s head coach Mike Macdonald expressed optimism on Monday, indicating that it was reasonable to anticipate Lucas playing against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday. His return to the lineup is anticipated to provide stability to an offensive line that has had to deal with a lot of changes at the right tackle position due to injuries.

George Fant was placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in the first week of the season, and he subsequently re-injured himself in his return against the Rams. In his absence, teammates Stone Forsythe and rookie Michael Jerrell have fluctuated in and out of the starting role.

Macdonald remarked, “The best version of Abe is going to elevate the performance of our offensive line. We aim to ensure he’s fully prepared, and from what I observed today, he looked promising. His last week’s performance was also encouraging. There’s a timeline we must adhere to, including several critical milestones for him to reach peak condition. We’re hopeful this will happen this week.”