It qualified as slightly surprising when Seattle Seahawks EDGE Uchenna Nwosu appeared on the initial 53-man roster earlier this week. Nwosu suffered a multi-week knee injury in the preseason finale victory over the Cleveland Browns that was said to make him a candidate to begin the season on IR. General manager John Schneider did not make that move, nor does he anticipate having to place his star pass rusher on IR.

That's terrific because it strongly indicates Nwosu will miss less than the required four contests had he been placed on IR. The only reason to keep Nwosu active is if he's scheduled to return during Weeks 1-3. The former USC standout's status for Week 1 versus the Denver Broncos remains unknown.

The Seahawks were prepared for Nwosu to be placed on IR. They acquired veteran EDGE Trevis Gipson in a trade leading up to roster cut-down day. Addin Gipson meant the Seahawks kept five total outside linebackers on the roster, including Nwosu, Dre'Mont Jones, Derick Hall, and Boye Mafe.

It would be ideal to have Nwosu against dual-threat quarterback Bo Nix and the Broncos in Week 1. If that proves to be wishful thinking, the Seahawks take on the New England Patriots in Week 2, and the high-octane Miami Dolphins in Week 3. All current signs point to Nwosu returning within that time frame.

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This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks offer injury update on Uchenna Nwousu