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Michael Bennett reports to training camp, Kam Chancellor doesn’t

By Keith Myers

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When the Seattle Seahawks reported to training camp yesterday, there was one person who didn’t show up. It wasn’t the person that was expected to be a no-show.

After all of the drama about a possible holdout all offseason, Michael Bennett chose to show up and report on time. He arrived to camp yesterday with his teammates.

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Bennett has said repeatedly that he wants an improved contract. Bennett signed for less than market value in Seattle because he wanted to play for a winner, but now he’s having second thoughts. He signed a four-year deal with the Seahawks last season, but already wants the deal to be reworked.

To be fair, Bennett is massively underpaid. He is one of the premier defensive linemen in the NFL and he isn’t getting paid like it. He’s not going to get much sympathy from anyone this early in his contract though.

Bennett did the right thing by reporting on time. The Seahawks weren’t going to give him a raise this season under any circumstances, so it is better that he just plays and waits until next year.

Kam Chancellor chose a completely route. Seattle’s All-Pro strong safety was quiet throughout the offseason, but announced that he might hold out on Wednesday. With such short notice being given, he was expected to show up. That didn’t happen.

Instead, Chancellor elected not to report to camp. It remains to be seen if this is just a one or two day protest or if he is serious about avoiding the field until he gets a new contract.

Kam’s absence from camp means that the team can fine him up to $30,000 per day. The Seahawks haven’t used those fines in the Pete Carroll era. Not issuing them was part of the deal that the team reached with Marshawn Lynch last year during his holdout.

Chancellor’s position in these negotiations is tenuous. Like Bennett, he’s on the books for three more years. He’s also has a top 10 salary for NFL safeties right now. Also, only three of those above him on that list have been signed since Kam’s deal. It isn’t like the market at the position has shifted greatly.

Kam’s one major point that he can argue is that very little of his contract contains guaranteed money. The 27 percent guaranteed he received in his deal is the lowest of any player in the top 14 contracts at safety.

Chancellor is also entering the final season in which any part of his contract is guaranteed. After this season, Kam’s entire contract becomes simply “pay as you go.”

For now, everyone must take a wait-and-see approach with Chancellor. He’ll likely show up at eventually. The questions left to be answered are when and if the Seahawks will be willing to re-work his deal.

Next: Seahawks Roundtable: best roster battles

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