RENTON, Wash. (AP) - Kam Chancellor is done for this season. Whether the standout strong safety for the Seattle Seahawks plays again is unknown.
Coach Pete Carroll said Monday that Chancellor would miss the rest of the season due to the neck injury he suffered earlier this month, but would not speculate about Chancellor’s future.
All Carroll would say for now is that Chancellor does not need surgery and any decision on his future is up to the player.
“He feels good, he feels comfortable. He’s not in discomfort at all, which is good,” Carroll said Monday, a day after Seattle’s 24-13 win over San Francisco. “There is a process with when we do the work, up and down stuff, and really I’m trying to be really respective of Kam and let him call the shots of what is known and all that stuff and how he wants to talk about it because this is him. It’s not us, it’s him and we’ll support him all that we can.
“He was a fantastic factor in this game, in the locker room and on the sideline, big time helping the communication and stuff. I’m glad he’s staying with us and still adding the presence he’s always been able to add.”
It’s a similar situation for veteran defensive end Cliff Avril, who will undergo “disc-related” surgery Tuesday for a neck injury. Avril has been out since early October.
Carroll declined to get into specifics about Avril’s surgery but noted it is a procedure players have come back from in the past.
“I don’t know what the future holds. Guys do come back from that surgery sometimes and sometimes they don’t. Just depends,” Carroll said.
Chancellor has spent his entire career with Seattle, becoming a starter in 2011. He recently spent time away from the team while meeting with doctors to determine the severity of his injury and possible courses of action.
Chancellor was apparently injured in the win over the Cardinals while tackling Andre Ellington with just over two minutes remaining. He stayed in for one more play before leaving to be attended on the sideline. Bradley McDougald has filled in with Chancellor sidelined.
Avril is in his fifth season with the Seahawks. He was injured in a game against the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 1. He was chasing down Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the back of Brissett’s foot caught Avril in the chin as he lunged to make the tackle. Avril was seen shaking his arms and flexing his hands after the impact.
“Just looking at their situations, each one is an individual in how they’re looking at it and we are too in how we support them and guide them and help them,” Carroll said.
Carroll said he does not expect rookie defensive tackle Malik McDowell to contribute at all this season. McDowell suffered facial and head injuries in an ATV accident last July before training camp started. Seattle has said from the start it would not rush McDowell’s recovery and that it was doubtful he would play this season, but Carroll’s comments put that lingering thought to rest.
“There’s not any progress being made in that direction,” Carroll said.
In the one bit of optimistic news, Seattle believes rookie running back Chris Carson has a chance to return before the end of the regular season. Carson has been out since having surgery in early October for a high-ankle sprain. Carroll said there is a chance Carson could be back at practice soon.
“He has made tremendous progress,” Carroll said. “We don’t want to rush him on anything or have expectations for you guys either but he has had a great recovery so we’ll see what happens. He’s running and changing directions and starting to do some more aggressive stuff this week.”
NOTES: The Seahawks expect CB Shaquill Griffin (concussion) and RB Mike Davis (groin) to be back this week after sitting out Sunday’s win over San Francisco. … Carroll said they won’t know more about the status of TE Luke Willson (concussion) until likely Thursday. Willson’s was the only significant injury to come from the game.
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