Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith returned to practice on Monday after missing four sessions. Head coach Mike Macdonald expects the starter to be at practices moving forward.
"As far as I know, I think he's rolling," the first-year coach told reporters when asked if Smith would be full-go.
Smith sat out practices last week, leading to imaging on his knee and hip. Tests didn't show any significant damage, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Friday.
"I'd just say we followed the steps of what everyone was saying we needed to do, and it was time for him to go out there, and he was there," Macdonald said when asked if Smith was ahead or on target in a return to practice. "It was great."
Smith enters his third season as the Seahawks' starting quarterback, earning back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. The 33-year-old spearheads a new offense under coordinator Ryan Grubb, so missing minimal reps after getting rolled up on is ideal for the veteran signal-caller.
"[He's] the guy that I thought he was? Again, I'm on the record with this, but the respect for who he is as a player, accuracy, operation, how he handles the guys," Macdonald said on Monday. "Yeah, and our relationship is still in the works. We've known each other for, what, five months now? We're in a good spot, and we're rolling."