Biggest roars yet of this Seahawks camp: Kam Chancellor comes back, finds changed defense
The biggest roars and thrills yet in this Seahawks training camp wasn’t a rainbow touchdown pass from Russell Wilson. It wasn’t Brandon Marshall’s showing at age 34 he still has it at receiver. It wasn’t even the Blue Angels zooming overhead this past weekend.
It was Kam Chancellor coming back.
The Pro Bowl strong safety and soul of the team was back at Seahawks headquarters Monday during the ninth practice of training camp. Looking sharp in a white pullover with dark sunglasses—and fit as though he was still playing—Chancellor and his wife walked across the field following the workout. And the fans that had just watched practice roared.
Chancellor greeted a local police officer he recognized. Then he walked over to a railing and signed autographs for hundreds of shrieking, mobbing fans. Some carried posters of him stalking a foe in his Seahawks jersey number 32. He signed for a solid half hour, smiling and hugging men, women and children. Some had tears in their eyes.
It was his first appearance here since he announced on July 1 he was walking away from football while he still could, because of his career-ending neck injury.
Chancellor talked about how cool it was to be back and seeing his defense flying around. Bradley McDougald was again the strong safety in Chancellor’s place during practice Monday, with Tedric Thompson at free safety as Earl Thomas continued his holdout. McDougald played the last two months of last season for Chancellor after he got hurt.
Through a team spokesman, Chancellor declined Monday to comment publicly on his decision to end his thumping, championship career he began with Seattle in 2010. He said he was going to be around the team regularly this season.
The hard-hitting, four-time Pro Bowl safety who led the Seahawks to consecutive Super Bowls and the region’s only NFL championship announced last month doctors did not clear him to play football again. He stated that was because of the heightened risk of paralysis if he continued to play.
Chancellor, 30, remains technically on the Seahawks’ player payroll. The team put him on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list at the start of training camp. That cleared his roster spot for the team to sign someone else. It also keeps him in line to receive $12 million the Seahawks have guaranteed him in 2018 and ‘19. That is from the three-year extension he signed worth $25 million guaranteed in August 2017.
Three months later, making a tackle late in Seattle’s win at Arizona Nov. 9, Chancellor injured his neck. His career was over.
“God has given me a sign that I just can’t ignore,” Chancellor, a strong safety known as “The Enforcer” within the Seahawks’ famed “Legion of Boom” defensive secondary, wrote and posted on his social-media accounts July 1.
That was days after neck tests and examinations with doctors.
“I’ve played through all types of bruises and injuries at a high level. But this one, I just can’t ignore. When the doctors told me what was going on in Nov(ember), I could feel my heart drop to my stomach. ...
“To walk away from the game by chance is one thing, to walk away from the game because of the risk of paralysis is another.”
His online announcement ended ominously. It offered a glimpse into the life of NFL stars, a reality of a brutal sport that is just as real as the $25 million Chancellor got guaranteed in the contract extension he’d been seeking for years and finally received from the Seahawks 12 months ago.
“P.S. Pray for your boy,” Chancellor wrote. “I have no clue how these head injuries will go after the game. What I do know is that my God is stronger. Peace and love”
Chancellor would be excused for barely recognizing the Seahawks defense that was on the field Monday.
Chancellor’s farewell, Cliff Avril having to retire because of his neck injury, Michael Bennett getting traded to Philadelphia and Richard Sherman getting waived then signed by San Francisco this offseason left the Seahawks with this starting defense to begin team scrimmaging Monday, three days before the preseason opener against Indianapolis: Barkevious Mingo and rookie Rasheem Green at ends, Branden Jackson and Jarran Reed at tackles, Bobby Wagner and rookie Shaquem Griffin (for resting K.J. Wright) at linebackers, Shaquill Griffin and Byron Maxwell at cornerbacks, McDougald and Thompson at safety and Justin Coleman at nickel back.
This story was originally published August 6, 2018 at 2:48 PM.