Extending Seahawks Chris Carson: Pros, cons and a potential contract
By Geoff Shull
There is no doubt that Carson is a talented player. However, there are some very concerning facts that may dissuade the Seahawks from extending Carson.
I’ll start with the most obvious; he has major durability concerns. He has yet to finish a season without succumbing to an injury. In 2017, Carson broke his leg. In 2018 he had finger and knee injuries. In 2019, he had a serious hip injury. Carson has yet to be fully healthy for a playoff game. If you pay a running back big money, you need him there when the money counts the most.
The second reason, he has had some fumbling issues. In 2019, he had the most fumbles in the NFL amongst running backs with 7. Coach Carroll has stuck by his side through thick and thin. However, one has to wonder how much longer breaking the golden rule “take care of the ball” will be tolerated. This is even more true when considering tying big money to a player.
The final troubling fact has less to do with Carson and more to do with second contracts for running backs as a whole. The following are stats from running backs who received a 3-year extension after their rookie deal.
Contract outcome Percentage
Played out the deal 16.7%
Player extended again 0.0%
Asked to take a pay cut 8.3%
Player was cut/released 70.8%
Player was traded away 4.2%
From these numbers, only 16.7% of the contracts were allowed to play through. That means 83.3% of the time, the contract ended poorly. Running backs are beat up more than any other position. This is especially true for run-heavy teams, such as the Seahawks. Last season Chris Carson ran for the 5th most carries in the NFL with 278 attempts. The year prior, the 7th most attempts at 247. Between Carson’s high usage, and smash-mouth style of play, it doesn’t bode well for his longevity in the NFL.