Earlier this offseason, it came out that Chris Carson‘s playing days may very well be over. Today, that fear has been confirmed, as Carson is retiring from the NFL at the age of 27 (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). 
Carson was limited to just four games this season as a result of a neck injury. It was the latest in a long list of issues preventing him from playing a full season in any of his five NFL seasons, all spent in Seattle. In June, head coach Pete Carroll indicated that the injury severely threated Carson’s ability to play again.
As Rapoport notes, the Seahawks are officially releasing Carson (who has one non-void year remaining on his contract) with a failed physical designation. Doing so will allow him to receive injury protection benefits, just as they have done previously with the likes of Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor. While that news will certainly help Carson financially, today is nevertheless the unfortunate end of his NFL career.
The five-year veteran, who signed a two-year deal worth $10.4MM in March 2021, will still collect $2MM from the Seahawks via injury protection, Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweets. The Seahawks will be hit with $1.2MM of that cost on their 2022 salary cap.
Then, earlier this month, Carson expressed his intentions of working to get back on the field in spite of the long odds. “I see myself playing until I feel like stopping,” he said. “My mindset is never to give up, so I’m staying positive like I said, and [will] continue to fight and get back onto the field.”
The former seventh-round pick took on the No. 1 role in his second season, and held onto it until the neck injury. He topped 1,100 rushing yards in 2018 and 2019, providing the offense with a consistent, quality presence. Overall, he amassed 4,306 scrimmage yards and 31 total touchdowns in 49 career games.
Seattle added youth at the position in recent years, drafting Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas. Most recently, they added Kenneth Walker this past April, further signaling that Carson’s days may have been numbered. That trio, along with Rashaad Penny, will look to fill the void left by Carson’s absence.
Good to see him walk away and not push for a comeback, hopefully he sticks with it. Neck injuries are nothing to mess with.
Glad the Seahawks allowed him to go the injury protection benefits route. Classy move.
Good for you. Sorry it happened that way, but it’s better. Having watched Avril and Chancellor having to make this same decision probably made it decidedly easier.
Chris Carson was an awesome RB! I’m glad I got to see him play for the Seahawks! Thank You CC!! I hope he still has a role with the team!
Thanks CC..been great watching and cheering for you. A class act, but glad to see you walking away before possibly more injury. A 7th rounder who worked hard and had a great career!
A shame to see him go out this way, but he certainly made good on his opportunities. Two 1000+ yard seasons for playoff teams is awfully impressive for the 5th to last player taken in his draft.
Fun fact: Atlanta sent the pick used on him to Seattle as part of a trade up so Atlanta could take Takkarist McKinley. Funny how the 7th rounder was more productive than the 1st rounder.
Some of the best comments I’ve seen in a while. Don’t do a lot of upvoting normally…but I will here.
He was so fun watch play. He would bowl over you or jump over you. Then run away from you. We have had bad luck at RB. From injuries to plain underperforming. Hopefully Penney can play like he did last half of season last year and Walker is a rookie of the year candidate.
Hopefully they both rush for a 1,000 yards because the alternative is Drew Lock having to go out and win a game! Pound the ball on offense and smother the ball on defense. That is the only play!!
Seattle backfield is one to stay away from in fantasy. Stop the run and they are done. Lock and Smith are very bad