The Seattle Seahawks' Kam Chancellor has apparently reached the end of his football-playing career after posting a message on social media which could also serve as his retirement announcement.
The 30-year-old safety was only able to play nine games last season after sustaining a scary neck injury in a Week 10 match against the Arizona Cardinals on the road, which would become the last game of Chancellor’s NFL career.
For Chancellor’s former teammate in Seattle, Cliff Avril, who suffered a similarly scary neck injury, the safety’s decision to call it quits is the “right decision,” which he said during an appearance on SiriusXM Blitz.
“He’s making the right decision,” Avril told Brian Custer and Brady Quinn. “No one wants to leave the game on someone else’s terms, I guess, in a sense. But at the same time, your health is way more important than any of this stuff. What good does it do for you to play this game for a long time, make a lot of money, but then at the end of it, you can’t enjoy it? So for him, I think that’s the approach he’s taking right now and I can appreciate that, where he’s at with that.
Although Chancellor was aware of the severity of his injury, it took him months before accepting that he can’t risk aggravating his neck issue any further. With him leaving the NFL, the Seahawks are going to move on and find a permanent replacement for Chancellor. Bradley McDougald is a strong candidate to inherit for good Chancellor’s spot in the starting lineup. McDougald had 51 total tackles last season to go with four passes defended.
Chancellor’s retirement could also mean that Seattle will no longer entertain the idea of trading Earl Thomas, who is entering the last year of his contract, though that remains a possibility.
Kam Chancellor walks away from the game having recorded 434 total tackles, 12 interceptions, and 2.0 sacks in 109 games (93 starts) in eight seasons in the NFL – all with the Seahawks.
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