Sidney Rice played in just eight games during the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl sprint before suffering an ACL injury.
The 27-year-old wide receiver was medically cleared in April for football activities before re-signing with the Seahawks.
General manager John Schneider said Wednesday he "absolutely" expects Rice to be ready when the Seahawks open the regular season on Sept. 4, in a "Fail Mary" redux with the Green Bay Packers.
The oft-injured Rice was cut for salary-cap reasons at the end of February, and after he tested a lukewarm market re-upped in Seattle on a more team-friendly contract.
"When we released him it was hard," Schneider said, per MyNorthwest.com, "but we explained the landscape to Sidney and his representative and we stayed in contact with him all the way through it."
If Rice -- who has battled knee issues for several years -- can stay healthy, he is a good outside complement for the defending Super Bowl champs.
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