Chris Carson ‘long-term’ neck issue has him iffy, Alex Collins ready for Seahawks vs Rams
Chris Carson has a “long-term” neck injury that has his status to play in doubt.
The Seahawks list their lead running back and a key to first-time play caller Shane Waldron’s run-based offense as questionable for their NFC West test against the Los Angeles Rams Thursday night.
Carson has not practiced this week. He is on the injury report with a neck issue. He was on the injury list during week one with a designation of “neck,” though he was listed as a full participant in practices all that week last month. Carson played that opener at Indianapolis and had his most productive day of the young season: 16 carries for 91 yards and three receptions for another 26 yards.
He has 141 yards rushing and three total catches the last three games combined.
“He has had kind of a long-term, I guess it would be kind of a condition, that he’s dealt with,” coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday. “And sometimes it flares up, and sometimes it doesn’t.
“We’ve tested him and MRI’d him and all that kind of stuff, and it’s no different than it’s been. It’s just, obviously, inflamed right now. And so we’ve got to see if it quiets down.”
If Carson’s neck doesn’t “quiet down” on the short, four-day turnaround for Seattle from its win at San Francisco last weekend to play the Rams, Alex Collins will take on a larger role in the Seahawks’ offense.
Collins was the spark to the team’s win over the 49ers on Sunday. His 28-yard catch and run from the left flat down the sideline with 4 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter gave Seattle its initial first down after five consecutitve three-and-out drives to begin the game. That first down allowed Russell Wilson and Waldron to go to a faster tempo offensively, and the Seahawks went on to score 21 unanswered points into the third quarter to seize the game.
“That was a huge play,” Wilson said. “AC, Alex Collins did a tremendous job. He had a sweet touchdown run, too (14 yards early in the fourth quarter to put Seattle ahead 28-13, after which he did an Irish dance in the end zone).
“He’s just sweet feet back there, man. He’s just able to make people miss and do something special things. He has the right attitude every day.”
Carson signed a new, two-year contract this spring worth up to $14,625,000. He’s yet to have an injury-free season in his five NFL years.
He plays the position with the shortest shelf life and most injuries in the league. That’s why he — like all running backs — was seeking all he could get in free agency this offseason. The market sank on Carson during the pandemic and a lower NFL salary cap per team this season, so he took the Seahawks’ two-year deal with a voided third year.
Agents Murphy McGuire and Casey Muir told The News Tribune in March Carson’s deal includes $5.5 million guaranteed in 2021. Carson could earn up to $6.9 million in the first year of the contract with incentive bonuses.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 1:39 PM.
