Chris Carson still not practicing for Seahawks. His future is uncertain, at best
Pete Carroll says the Seahawks need to run more.
The lead running back they designed their offense to be based upon remains out — with ominous signs he may not be back.
Nothing new with Chris Carson — which means nothing good.
The Seahawks’ leading rusher hasn’t played in six weeks. He apparently won’t play this weekend, either. Carson’s long-term neck condition did not respond well to his attempts to practice two days last week.
The team’s medical staff shut down Carson Friday. He then missed his fifth consecutive game.
With Carson’s fill-in Alex Collins banged up, Seattle had its running backs carry just 11 times in 59 plays in Green Bay Sunday, in the Seahawks’ 17-0 loss that was a 3-0 game into the fourth quarter.
Monday, Carroll had said to expect an update on Carson’s situation Wednesday.
Wednesday, Carroll said of Carson: “He won’t practice today. That’s the update I’ve got.”
Nothing sounds great these days when the coach talks about the 27-year-old who has yet to complete a full season injury-free since he was in junior college.
Nothing has sounded good about Carson since he last played Oct. 3 at San Francisco.
“What I would say is, we didn’t make the positive progress that we had hoped,” Carroll said. “So, we’re still working with it.
“I don’t have a good update for you. If you don’t mind, you’ve just got to wait a couple more days and we’ll have more.
“But he didn’t make the positive process forward that we wanted, you know. So we just have to wait.”
Last month, Carroll intimated it was possible Carson would miss the rest of the season.
“He’s got to make a turn here, you know, to show us that he’s feeling better and good enough to really go for it,” Carroll said Oct. 30. “He hasn’t been able to go out to practice yet, and go.
“Pretty soon, you are going to say ‘Is he going to make it back?’ — just like you are asking. And I’m not ready to do that yet.
“But really keeping my fingers crossed for him that he is going to get a chance to come back and play.”
Carson remains on injured reserve. The team had designated him to return from IR last week to practice.
That obviously did not go well.
Carroll has been vague on exactly what is wrong with Carson’s neck. The coach only has said Carson has a “long-term condition” in his neck.
The bottom line remains Carson is not in condition to take any hits at the position that has the shortest career span in the NFL.
“It’s uncomfortable, basically. He has pretty good motion and flexibility, but it’s uncomfortable for him, the discomfort of what is going on,” Carroll last month. “We have to get rid of that.”
This is why the market cratered on Carson this offseason, when he was seeking the money of Joe Mixon. Carson’s draft classmate in 2017 got a $48 million, four-year contract to re-sign with Cincinnati last year.
Carson shopped briefly as an unsigned free agent this spring, after Seattle let his rookie deal expire. He eventually returned to the Seahawks on a two-year deal worth $10.4 million with $5.5 million of that guaranteed to him this year.
Carson’s 12 games with at least 100 yards rushing since 2018 are fifth-most in the NFL. He was to be the centerpiece of new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s run-based system in 2021.
Carson’s gained 232 yards in four games with three touchdowns this season. His best game was his first one, 91 yards on 16 carries in Seattle’s opener at Indianapolis Sept. 12. That win is the only game Waldron’s offense has looked as varied and fast-paced as it did each day in training camp.
The Seahawks enter their home game Sunday against NFC West-leading Arizona (8-2) having dropped from 16th in the league in rushing offense to 22nd.
Collins averaged more than 4 yards per carry at Green Bay last weekend, yet got just 10 rushes.
He has had hip and groin issues since his 101-yard rushing game last month in Seattle’s overtime loss at Pittsburgh. That was the Seahawks’ first 100-yard day for a running back since Carson had one in 2019.
Rashaad Penny came off injured reserve last month. He had six carries for 9 yards in his first game since he strained his calf in week one. He had seven rushes for 7 yards when Seattle beat Jacksonville Oct. 31.
The team’s first-round draft pick in 2018, who is in the final year of his contract, was healthy and in uniform, active to play at Green Bay last weekend.
He had as many snaps against the Packers as you did. He never got off the sideline at Lambeau Field.
“We need Rashaad to come to life,” Carroll said Wednesday. “This is an important time for Rashaad to help us.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 2:18 PM.
