‘A gangster’: 4 days after scary knee injury, Seahawks’ Grey Zabel practices

Given how big a stud he is already, the news that Grey Zabel had escaped a major knee injury was almost worthy of a Seahawks parade.

So what does what Zabel was doing Thursday warrant?

Adding new meaning to coach Mike Macdonald’s estimate Monday that his rookie left guard was “day to day,” Zabel was on the field jogging and participating at the start of practice Thursday. It was just four days after he was on both knees, facemask into the SoFi Stadium turf with what appeared to be a major injury to his left knee.

The first-round draft choice who has allowed zero sacks of quarterback Sam Darnold this debut season jogged onto the field early before stretching for practice began, three days before Seattle (7-3) plays at Tennessee (1-9).

Zabel joked with left tackle Charles Cross. Then, three days after magnetic resonance imaging exams showed no structural damage in his knee, Zabel participated at the same level and extent as everyone else in the 10 or so minutes the team permitted the media to watch.

Christian Haynes may not have to start at left guard against Jeffery Simmons, the Titans best player and interior rusher, at Tennessee, after all. Haynes has been preparing as if he will start in Nashville Sunday. That included Wednesday when Zabel did not practice.

“Yeah, big boost,” offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said after watching Zabel practice.

“Credit to him for working his tail off to get back, and our training staff. Fortunate it wasn’t worse.”

It speaks to one of the many stellar traits the Seahawks have learned in the 6 1/2 months since they made the former North Dakota State Bison from Pierre, South Dakota, Seattle’s highest-drafted interior offensive lineman since Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson in 2001.

Hutchinson scouted Zabel at the Senior Bowl in January, and recommended to coach Mike Macdonald, general manager John Schneider and Kubiak that they draft him.

Hutchinson saw Zabel’s toughness that is flourishing this week.

“Yeah,” Kubiak said, “Grey’s a little gangster. I mean, he’s tough. You see the look in his eye after the (Rams) game, you ask him how he’s doing and you can just tell the way he looks at you, when he talks to you that he’s going to get back as soon as he can.

“That’s been something really impressive from him all along, and obviously something that’s been developed into him at a really young age.

“We’re really lucky to have that in our offense.”