RENTON, Wash. — Top Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is recuperating from hernia surgery and former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch just had his third knee surgery in just over two years.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Friday there "always a concern" whenever a knee is operated on for a third time, but that Branch's arthroscopic surgery last week was a minor cleanup.

Carroll says Houshmandzadeh's injury had bothered him since the end of last season and did not improve.

Houshmandzadeh had 79 catches in his first season with the Seahawks. They signed him as a coveted free agent last spring.

He's on the sidelines tutoring second-round draft choice Golden Tate during this weekend's mandatory minicamp.