Seahawks veterans Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril might not be able to take the field in 2018. Their respective health issues could force both of them to retire, head coach Pete Carroll says, though Carroll indicated that the choice will be up to each player. 
“Cliff and Kam are going to have a hard time playing football again,” Carroll said (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times).
Chancellor, a Pro Bowl safety, missed nearly half of the season’s games with a neck injury. Avril, a defensive end, appeared in only four contests thanks to a serious back issue.
Chancellor has been a fixture of the Seahawks’ defense, but it may be time for him to depart from the Legion of Boom. If this is the end, Chancellor can reflect on a tremendous career which includes four Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl ring following the 2013 season. Avril earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2016 and was also a part of the ’13 championship.
Chancellor is set to earn a guaranteed $6.8MM if he remains on the roster by February 10, so the Seahawks will be keeping a watchful eye on his condition. There’s next to no chance of Avril returning on his current deal, however. The Seahawks can save $7.5MM if he retires or if he is released. If he deems himself fit to play, Avril could theoretically return on a cheaper contract.
I think this team is going to look a lot different next year and will probably get a lot younger on defense as well. Pete Carrol is a heck of a coach, there’s no question about that and I think he still has some play makers on that defense, I think his number one goal should be to work on that O Line and protect Wilson better. Their Defense may not be as dominant as they once were but they will still be a good defense just not nearly as good as they were just two years ago.
I agree that they’ll look a lot different next year, especially when considering that even Thomas and Sherman have been injury questions in the recent past too. The offensive line is really bad, they don’t have a dependable running game, and the defense is undergoing a lot of changes…but as long as they have Russell Wilson, I’m sure they’ll still be competitive.
Farewell to the Legion of Boom. I have every confidence that Carroll can make a new one.
Same, they know how to draft for the most part…I mean. They couldn’t get lucky that many times could they?
Coach Pete will get it done. So underrated!