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Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson is set to hit the free-agent market this offseason leaving the team with a difficult decision. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll spoke glowingly about Carson indicating the franchise would like to have their starting running back return for next season.
“[Carson is] a huge priority, and we’ve love to have him back,” Carroll noted during his end-of-season press conference on January 11, via The Seattle Times.
As we saw during the last offseason with Jadeveon Clowney, just because the Seahawks speak highly of a player does not mean they will return to Seattle. The Seahawks likely have a price range in mind for Carson, and it will be interesting to see if another team tries to top their offer. Carroll admitted at the end of the regular season that Carson also has to “look out for himself.”
“I do know Chris has got to — he’ll look out for himself,” Carroll noted in December 2020, per The Seattle Times. “So he’s got to see what the situation is. We would love for him to be with us. He’s been a terrific part of our team, and hopefully we can keep that going. In my mind, I can’t imagine anything else happening. But from the business side of it, he’s got a chance to see what’s going on, and so hopefully we’ll be able to figure it out and keep him.”
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The Seahawks Want to Run the Ball More in 2021 But Can Carson Carry the Load?
Carroll made it clear after the team’s Wild Card loss to the Rams that he wants the Seahawks to run the ball more next season. The question is if Carson can withstand the punishment needed to be the Seahawks’ top back moving forward. Carson played in 12 games last season missing five contests with various injuries, marking the fewest appearances since his rookie season in 2017. The Seahawks running back finished with 141 rushes for 681 yards and five touchdowns along with 37 receptions for 287 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2020.
As The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar points out, Carson’s injuries could be a product of being an NFL running back, especially on a team like the Seahawks who utilize him often. Statistically, Carson is more durable than the majority of his running back peers.
“Since Chris Carson’s durability is part of this discussion, let’s take a look,” Dugar explained on Twitter. “Since becoming the starter in 2018, CC has made 41 of 48 possible reg. season starts. Only 3 RBs have made more starts in that span. Health is a factor here but it’s being overstated a little, I think.”
Wilson Wants Carson Back for 2021
After the Seahawks’ loss to the Rams, Wilson was asked if he believed he had played his final game with Carson. Wilson voiced his support for the Seahawks bringing back Carson calling the running back “one of the best players in the game.”
“I hope not,” Wilson responded, per Seahawks.com. “I think he’s a great football player. Hopefully we get to play a lot more football together. …But a guy like Chris, one of the best players in the game. He’s such a great dude, and hopefully get to do it again.”
The good news for the Seahawks is they are likely to value Carson as much as any NFL team. ESPN 710 Seattle’s Jake Heaps sees the Seahawks bringing back Carson and does not expect his market to be as lucrative as some project.
“Maybe I’m in denial, but I just don’t think that Chris Carson is going to demand that much money on the open market that maybe people think he will,” Heaps noted, per ESPN 710 Seattle. “I really think he’s going to be around that $8 million range. And if he’s in that range, I believe this team will be extremely interested in having Chris Carson as your running back.”
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