Pete Carroll expects Mychal Kendricks to be available to play this season

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While the legal status of linebacker Mychal Kendricks remains unknown, the Seahawks are moving forward on the assumption he’ll be able to play for them this season.

Kendricks is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to insider trading charges last September. However, multiple sentencing dates have been postponed in recent months. His latest hearing was initial scheduled for April 4 before an indefinite postponement was issued in late March.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks re-signed Kendricks to a one-year deal in March. Kendricks already served an eight-game suspension for his role in the events and won’t face anymore punishment from the league over the transgressions. Even though his status is still to be determined, the Seahawks are expecting Kendricks to be available to play for them this season.

“We do expect him to be on the team this year,” head coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday.

Carroll didn’t divulge anything else about the process Kendricks is working through. Since the April 4th postponement, a future sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.

“There’s not much that I can say that’s going to be proper at this time,” Carroll said. “Everything’s moving along and he’s real optimistic about how things are going. But really not too much to report. I can’t tell you much more than that.”

Kendricks appeared in just four games with three starts for Seattle last season after signing with the team in September. He played in three games before the suspension was handed down and then sustained a knee injury and fractured tibia in his first game back in December.

Carroll has been excited about the potential of Kendricks, Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright all being on the field together at times this season. Even with the unresolved legal issues, Carroll believes he’ll be able to see that happen for the Seahawks this fall.