Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin sidelined by ailing hip

Tom Pelissero | USA TODAY Sports

RENTON, Wash. — This was supposed to be Percy Harvin's training camp debut with the Seattle Seahawks, catching passes from quarterback Russell Wilson in front of a capacity crowd at the team training facility.

Instead, Harvin was a spectator in his new No. 11 jersey Thursday. He was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list and likely headed for a second opinion on an ailing hip the Seahawks hope will not require surgery.

"I'm praying for him," Wilson told USA TODAY Sports after practice. "I don't know the situation, to be honest with you. He's a talented player, obviously very explosive. But we'll be all right."

A divisional playoff team last season, the Seahawks entered camp as a popular Super Bowl pick in part because of upgrades that included Harvin, the dynamic receiver and kick returner acquired in a March trade from the Minnesota Vikings.

The concern now is Harvin might have a partially torn labrum, which could sideline him for months if he has surgery. A person with knowledge of the injury told USA TODAY Sports the Seahawks were hopeful it wouldn't come to that, though, and no date had been set for Harvin to get a second opinion.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because injury details were to remain private.

"It may (require surgery), but we'll find out," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "We're just going to go ahead and go step by step right now. I know he was working full speed just a few days ago. But we need to take care of him, so we'll take every precaution to do that."

The injury occurred while Harvin was working out over the summer, Carroll said. Harvin missed time during voluntary practices in June with what Carroll then called "a little bit of a hip flexor" issue, and it was bothering him enough last week that he got checked out.

Asked Thursday if it could be a partially torn labrum, Carroll said, "It's in that area, yeah. We're going to take a really good look at it, going to get second opinions and all that kind of stuff to do the right thing. We're really early in camp now. ... We're going to be careful."

If Harvin tries to rehabilitate first and it doesn't work, the timeline for surgery and recovery would be delayed.

Harvin didn't speak with news reporters Thursday. Last month, before minicamp, he told USA TODAY Sports that he was as "healthy as I've been in a while. That's the thing I like about here. They take time to dissect your body. Things I hadn't worked out in a while — hip flexors — things like that are important to me to keep my speed and agility."

The Seahawks were aware of Harvin's lengthy injury history before sending first-, third- and seventh-round draft picks to the Vikings and signing him to a five-year contract extension that included $25.5 million in guarantees. He finished last season on injured reserve with an ankle injury, but he hasn't appeared on the injury report with a hip problem since September 2010 and is no longer troubled by migraines.

Wilson dismissed the notion lost reps would affect Harvin or the Seahawks offense.

"It doesn't," Wilson said. "We didn't have Percy last year. But obviously, to have him is awesome. …

"Last year, I only had a third of the reps all the way up. I continued to grow. Percy's played the game for four-plus years now in the NFL. He knows how to play. So I'm not worried about him at all."

Notes: Also placed on the active/PUP list were: defensive end Chris Clemons (knee), tight end Zach Miller (foot), end Greg Scruggs (knee), cornerback Tharold Simon (foot) and running back Robert Turbin (foot). Linebacker Korey Toomer (knee) was placed on the non-football injury list.