Seattle Seahawks Running Back Chris Carson to Retire from NFL at Age 27 Due to Neck Injury: Reports

Natasha Dye
·2 min read
2
Chris Carson #32 of the Seattle Seahawks after their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Chris Carson #32 of the Seattle Seahawks after their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Jacob Kupferman/Getty Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson announces retirement from NFL

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson has played his last game in the NFL at just 27 years old, after a persistent neck injury that forced him to sit out most of the 2021-22 season.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Carson's retirement, putting a cap on one of the question marks looming over the league's current offseason.

Sources told Rapoport that the Seattle NFL team, "will officially release" Carson with "a failed physical designation" instead of removing him from the team's roster. "Under the CBA, that allows Carson to receive several million in injury protection benefits. Seattle does right by him," Rapoport reported.

ESPN also reported that Carson will retire due to his neck injury. PEOPLE has reached out to the Seahawks for comment.

The injury to Carson's neck happened just four weeks into the previous regular season and eventually required surgery.

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According to SI.com, the young athlete underwent a successful operation on his neck in December with hopes to return to the field for the upcoming season. Photos of Carson's neck hardware were shared by Dr. Jesse Morse, a sports medicine physician in Florida.

Carson and the Seattle Seahawks organization had remained hopeful that he'd be able to return to the field. The running back told Heavy.com in a June 10 interview that his "mindset is never to give up."

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Carson added he sees himself playing in the NFL until he "feels like stopping" and plans to "continue to fight and get back onto the field."

Chris Carson #32 of the Seattle Seahawks runs with the ball in the first quarter against the New England Patriots at CenturyLink Field on September 20, 2020 in Seattle, Washington.
Chris Carson #32 of the Seattle Seahawks runs with the ball in the first quarter against the New England Patriots at CenturyLink Field on September 20, 2020 in Seattle, Washington.

Abbie Parr/Getty Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson

Carson, an Oklahoma State alumni, played in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks for five seasons. The team drafted Carson in the seventh round of 2017's NFL draft.

Carson finishes his career with 3,502 yards on 796 carries, and 24 touchdowns over 49 games, according to the NFL.