Getty Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson
Talented Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson is putting in the work to rebound from an injury-shortened 2020 season, and he is challenging the two-time rushing king while doing so.
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry has made waves on social media with videos of himself doing push-ups. He places his arms on an elevated resistance band instead of on the ground and his feet on an exercise ball. Henry adds a heavy chain around his neck to take the workout to the next level.
Here’s @NFL athlete @ccarson_32 , running back for Seattle @Seahawks showing whatever Derrick Henry @KingHenry_2 can do Chris Carson can do better ha ha. Nothing like a little friendly competition between 2 of the best RB’s in the league. #workout #fitness #workoutmotivation
Carson tested the workout during a recent training session, but he increased the difficulty by lifting one foot off of the exercise ball. He draped the heavy chain around his midsection, testing his core strength even more. Carson also used a red band, which traditionally provides less resistance, while Henry went with the green band.
The video showed that Carson didn’t simply do a set number of push-up reps to match Henry’s output. His trainer actually told him to slowly descend before pausing at the bottom of one rep. Carson had to hold himself in position before quickly exploding back up to full extension.
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The NFL has a history of unique workouts hitting social media
Having the top stars in the NFL post videos of their workouts is nothing new. Antonio Brown regularly did so during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Similarly, former linebacker James Harrison has continued to post intense videos of his workouts both during his career and after he walked away from the football field.
Harrison has posted several videos on his Instagram profile featuring him pushing a sled with 1,800 pounds of weight and bench pressing 545 pounds. One video even featured Harrison lifting Heels co-star Allen Maldonaldo off of his chest.
More and more athletes have continued to post videos of their offseason workouts on social media while teasing major comebacks after injuries or greater success in the future. Carson is only the latest example, but his video is creating excitement among Seahawks fans that celebrated his return on a new, three-year contract worth $24.625 million.
Carson is building strength for the future seasons
GettyChris Carson rushes against the Philadelphia Eagles
Improving his strength for the 2021 season is important considering Carson’s recent output. The four-year veteran has been with the Seahawks for his entire career but has not played a full season. He only appeared in four regular-season games during his rookie season after breaking his ankle. He returned for 14 games in 2018, 15 in 2019, and 12 in 2020 while dealing with multiple injuries.
Despite missing time, Carson has made a major impact on the Seahawks’ offense when healthy. He rushed for 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. He added another 1,230 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019. Carson may have only rushed for 681 yards in 2020, but he still scored five rushing touchdowns.
Running the football effectively is very important to head coach Pete Carroll, as he has shown throughout his tenure with Marshawn Lynch and Christine Michael. He further proved his point during his final press conference of the season, saying that he wants to see the Seahawks dictate the flow of the game in 2021 with the rushing attack.
“I want to see if we can run the ball more effectively to focus the play of the opponents and see if we can force them to do things like we’d like them to do more, like we have been able to do that in the past,” Carroll said, per Seattle 950KJR. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to run the ball 50 times a game. It means we need to run the ball with direction and focus and style that allows us to dictate the game.”
Bringing Carson back on a new contract will help the Seahawks as the team strives to find more success on the ground. However, the team will need him to remain healthy for all 17 regular-season games. One-upping Henry in a unique workout is a positive sign that he will be ready for a full workload.
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