Seahawks rumors: Eddie Lacy likely won't return to Seattle in 2018

Heading into the 2017 season, running back Eddie Lacy hoped to recapture his Pro Bowl form in his first season with the Seattle Seahawks.

However, it appears that this chapter of his career is coming to a close,, as Brady Henderson of ESPN speculates that the Seahawks don't have any interest in bringing back the 27-year-old on a new deal.

You could include Thomas Rawls here, too. Lacy and Rawls were expected to head the Seahawks' backfield in 2017, but rookie seventh-round pick Chris Carson quickly beat them both out for the starting job… Lacy is an unrestricted free agent, and a change of scenery feels like a no-brainer for both sides after he received only 69 carries while being declared a healthy inactive four times last season.

Lacy had an opportunity to latch onto a starting role up for grabs, but he never truly showed that he could fulfill that prominent role. Instead, he put up the least productive campaign of his NFL career, rushing for a career-low 169 yards and a career-worst 2.6 yards per carry with no touchdowns. He also hauled in six catches for 47 receiving yards while being held out of the end zone.

On top of that, his disappointing season came to an end after just nine games due to a groin injury. Although the Seahawks don't have a clear-cut starter in place, Lacy has clearly run his course in Seattle and will have to look elsewhere for another opportunity to prove he can be a dependable asset. Meanwhile, the Seahawks could be active in the free agent market for help at the position after Lacy, Thomas Rawls, and Chris Carson struggled to perform and/or stay on the field consistently.

Lacy will join an intriguing class of free agent backs, which could include the likes of Le'Veon Bell, Dion Lewis, Carlos Hyde, Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Hill, Jerick McKinnon, Frank Gore, and LeGarrette Blount.