A veteran NFL running back is set to call it a career after playing in the league for five seasons. According to ESPN, Chris Carson of the Seattle Seahawks is planning to retire at 27 years old due to a neck injury. On Tuesday, the Seahawks released Carson with a field physical designation.
“He’s been an incredible pro, a guy who brings amazing energy about him. His running style is what we’ve always wanted here in Seattle,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider said in a statement. “He’s the type of runner that the whole team feeds off of. The type of player defensive players get off the bench to watch him run — they can feel his energy. He’s the type of runner whose style affects the whole team, not just the offense. It’s a big disappointment. We took it as long as we possibly could with him, he saw a number of specialists, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to pass our physical.”
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Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll also shared his thoughts on Carson. “Ever since the first time I saw Chris on film, I loved his style, and I was thrilled when we were able to get him when we did,” Carroll said. “To see him grow and become such an impacting part of our program with such a great style and all of that, it was a thrill to watch. We’ll miss him and everything he brought to our program.”
Carson was selected in the seventh round by the Seahawks in the 2017 NFL Draft. His rookie season was cut short due to an ankle injury and finished the year with 208 rushing yards on 49 carries. Carson went on to have a breakout 2018 season when he rushed for 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns on 247 carries. He became a premiere running back in 2019 when he rushed for 1,230 yards and seven touchdowns on 278 carries. His final two seasons were tough as he rushed for just 913 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games in 2020 and 2021. Last year was difficult as he only played four games due to his neck injury. In his career, Carson played in 49 games and rushed for 3,502 yards and 24 touchdowns.
