Chris Carson won’t play again as a neck injury that required surgery has prematurely ended his career. The Seahawks made the move official Tuesday, waiving the running back with a failed physical designation.
That qualifies Carson for injury protection benefits under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which he would not get on the reserve/retired list.
The Seahawks thanked Carson for his five seasons in social media posts and with a press release.
“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,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday, via the team website. “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.”
The Seahawks made Carson a seventh-round pick in 2017, and he started 48 of the 49 regular-season games he played for the team. He had 769 carries for 3,502 yards and 24 touchdowns and caught 107 passes for 804 yards and seven touchdowns.
“He’s been an incredible pro, a guy who brings an amazing energy about him,” Seahawks General Manager John Schneider said. “His running style is what we’ve always wanted here in Seattle. 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.”