Chris Carson: Seattle Seahawks running back to retire from NFL aged 27 due to neck injury | NFL News

Chris Carson was a seventh-round pick in 2017 and produced two 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Seahawks; Seattle acquired Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Chris Carson has retired from the NFL

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson is retiring from the NFL at the age of 27 due to a neck injury that brought a premature end to his 2021 season.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that Carson will not officially announce his retirement in the event his neck improves.

The Seahawks are to release Carson with a failed physical designation that will enable him to receive millions of dollars in injury protection benefits.

“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,” said head coach Pete Carroll on Tuesday, per the Seahawks 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.”

Carson featured in four games last season but sustained a neck injury during the Week Four victory over the San Francisco 49ers and was subsequently placed on injured reserve before undergoing surgery.

The decision to step away comes just over a year after he penned a two-year, $10.43m deal in March 2021.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider added: “He’s been an incredible pro, a guy who brings an amazing energy about him. 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.”

Carson was a seventh-round pick for the Seahawks in 2017 and in five seasons managed 3,502 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground alongside 107 catches for 804 yards and seven scores in 49 games.

During his career he earned himself a reputation as one of the toughest runners in the league, evidenced across back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2018 (1,151 yards) and 2019 (1,230 yards).

Seattle sought backfield reinforcements at the NFL Draft earlier this year when they selected Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III in the second round to add to 2018 first-rounder Rashaad Penny.