Running back Chris Carson has agreed to re-sign with the Seattle Seahawks on a two-year deal, a source confirmed to The Athletic on Friday. Carson's deal also includes a third, voidable year.
Carson, 26, rushed for 681 yards and five touchdowns for the Seahawks. He was drafted by Seattle in the seventh round in 2017.
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How he fits
Michael-Shawn Dugar, Seahawks beat writer: Carson fits Pete Carroll’s offensive philosophy like a glove. Carson is the best back Carroll has had since Marshawn Lynch, who anchored the team’s only championship run in franchise history. Carson can run through people, around people and, on occasion, flip over people. He has soft hands and runs decent routes — he scored a few touchdowns on go-routes in 2020 — making him a viable option out of the backfield, even if the scheme doesn’t always maximize those skills. Seattle’s scheme requires running backs to earn “hard” yards, often making something out of nothing. Lynch did that better than any running back in the league. Carson has carried that torch in that regard and it’s what makes Carroll so fond of his running style.
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What this means for Seattle
Dugar: Seattle wants to re-establish itself as a run-first team and it’s much easier to do that with Carson atop the depth chart. Unfortunately for 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny, his rookie contract is likely to expire without him ever spending a season as the team’s No. 1 running back. In fact, his entire rookie deal will feature him backing up Carson, a seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft. Seattle also has 2019 sixth-round pick Travis Homer and 2020 fourth-rounder DeeJay Dallas on the roster, but the team’s willingness to bring back Carson on a multi-year deal is essentially an indictment of Penny’s future with the franchise. This will also mean fewer carries for Alex Collins, a former Seattle draft pick who returned to the team in 2020 and re-signed this offseason on a one-year contract.
What's next for Seattle
Dugar: Carroll’s decision to double down on his run-first philosophy lowers the floor on his team’s potential success unless the team has an elite defense on the other side of the ball. As currently constructed the Seahawks do not have an elite defense, so even though the offense is in much better shape with Carson in the backfield, the overall odds of winning a championship in 2021 have not increased.
(Photo: Joe Nicholson / USA Today)