Getty The Seahawks have released Chance Warmack.
After signing with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, Chance Warmack will not play in 2020, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The Seahawks signed the former No. 10 pick as an upside play with the hope that Warmack could compete for one of the guard positions.
“Seahawks OL Chance Warmack will be taking a voluntary opt-out for this season, source says. The former 10th overall pick, who sat out last season, had signed with Seattle in the spring,” Garafolo reported on Twitter.
Warmack Is a Former Starting Guard for the Titans
Warmack is the first Seahawks player to opt out of the season, an option given to every NFL player given the ongoing pandemic. Warmack will be paid a $150,000 stipend for the season, per The Seattle Times. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Seattle’s 950 KJR that Warmack has several family members who have been impacted by COVID-19. Warmack is a former standout player at Alabama and spent his first three seasons as a starting guard for the Titans.
He last played for the Eagles in 2018 and sat out last season in an effort to get healthy. The good news for the Seahawks is that the team has depth on the offensive line thanks to their offseason moves, but Seattle has now lost two linemen in the last 24 hours. Center Joey Hunt was one of nine players who the Seahawks released ahead of training camp.
At the time of the signing, Rapoport called Warmack a “low risk, high-reward add,” and it will be worth monitoring to see if the Seahawks bring him back in 2021. Warmack’s decision could prompt the Seahawks to make a roster move given the opening. The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta revealed an interesting stat about the Seahawks and 2013 NFL Draft picks.
“Warmack is the seventh of the top 13 picks in the 2013 draft who have now been members of the Seahawks,” Condotta noted on Twitter. “That was the year Seattle traded out of the first round as part of the Percy Harvin deal.”
Warmack Hopes to Play in the NFL in 2021
Warmack still hopes to play in 2021 but will be two years removed from his last NFL season. Condotta reported that the decision is tied to multiple people close to Warmack testing positive for the virus.
“Have confirmed the news that Chance Warmack is opting out of the 2020 season,” Condotta said on Twitter. “He is not deemed high risk, but is opting out in part he has had people close to him contract COVID-19. Warmack hopes to play in 2021.”
Warmack’s decision may seem insignificant but there was growing buzz around the new Seahawks guard. ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported in April that the Seahawks liked Warmack “more than people realize.”
“And I think Chance Warmack will very much be in play for one of the guard spots,” Henderson tweeted. “They like him more than people realize. And it could be a lot to ask of a rookie like Damien Lewis to get up to speed in time to start right away with a shortened offseason.”
READ NEXT: Jamal Adams Has Bold Message for Seahawks Fans After Trade