Seahawks get rare break from practice

RENTON, Wash. – T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Matt Hasselbeck and Lawyer Milloy have 34 seasons of NFL experience combined.

Yet they have never experienced a day off just five days into a training camp.

That’s what new Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll gave his team on Wednesday. No practice. No meetings.

No, really.

They will get another day off on Monday. That’s two full breaks over the first 10 days of camp.

Carroll is also resting veterans on a rotating basis each day.

“This might be the best camp I’ve ever been a part of,” Houshmandzadeh said. “You see the players’ schedule. You have to work hard, but they are taking care of you.”

Carroll gathered his players in the middle of the field after Tuesday’s single practice, Seattle’s sixth of the preseason. He told them to be smart, stay safe, get off your feet and report back for a check-in meeting on Wednesday night.

They told him, “Thanks!”

It’s an early example of how Carroll has changed his first go-around in the NFL, as coach of the New York Jets in 1994 and of New England from 1997-99.

“We’ll take it, we accept that,” said Hasselbeck, who also sees Carroll’s gift as a test. “I think with that comes a huge responsibility as players. It’s an opportunity to do the right thing or do the wrong thing. He asked us to get off of our feet and rest and that kind of thing. Hopefully we all take advantage of it. I know I’m going to.”