Chris Carson, Jamal Adams Expected Back at 'Full Steam' For Start of 2022 Season
If there's a silver lining to the Seahawks season ending earlier than usual without a playoff berth, two of the team's biggest stars should be fully recovered from injuries in time for training camp in July.
Speaking with reporters for the final time after Seattle's 38-30 win over Arizona in the season finale, coach Pete Carroll provided encouraging updates on running back Chris Carson and safety Jamal Adams, who each ended the season on injured reserve with neck and shoulder injuries respectively.
“I talked to Jamal last night, just missing him that he wasn’t part of the finish to this season. He is going to be such a significant part as we come back," Carroll said. "I haven’t talked to Chris in a little bit, I messaged with him, but haven’t talked to him in a bit. Those guys are both as gun ho as you can possibly imagine. To listen to Jamal and how much it hurt him to not be there with his teammates, these guys are ballers and want to be a part of everything. But anyway, they are really raring to go and expect to be back at full steam when it’s time to go again at camp.”
After starting the season off with 232 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in Seattle's first four games, Carson sat out a Week 5 loss to the Los Angeles Rams with an undisclosed neck issue. One week later, the team placed him on injured reserve with hopes he could return to action shortly after missing the minimum requirement of three games.
Unfortunately, while the Seahawks did designate Carson to return to practice prior to a Week 10 contest against the Packers, his condition didn't improve as anticipated and Carroll ruled him out for the season. It marked the third time in five NFL seasons that the former Oklahoma State standout had his season end abruptly on injured reserve, as he missed the final 12 games of his rookie season with a fractured ankle and the final game of the 2019 season with a cracked hip.
Carson underwent successful neck disc fusion surgery in December and according to Carroll, the team expects him to make a full recovery and be able to return to the field in 2022.
After signing a record-breaking four-year, $70 million extension in August, Adams started Seattle's first 12 games, producing 87 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, and a pair of interceptions. He landed on injured reserve when he suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder making a tackle during a Week 13 win over San Francisco. He underwent surgery to fix the injured shoulder - the same one he had surgically repaired after the 2020 season - a few days later.
Interestingly, one year after setting the NFL record for sacks by a defensive back, Adams' season ended without a single sack and just two quarterback hits in 2021. During the season, Carroll attributed his lack of pass rushing production to opponents being better prepared to block him blitzing off the edge and less opportunities overall.
In additional injury news, while Carroll didn't have any updates on Monday, safety Quandre Diggs tweeted that he underwent successful surgery to repair a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle suffered in Seattle's season finale in Arizona. Per reports, he will face a lengthy 4-5 month recovery, but he's expected to be ready to go for training camp.
Named a Pro Bowler for the second consecutive season, Diggs led the Seahawks with five interceptions and finished third on the team with 94 combined tackles. Since arriving via trade from the Lions midway through the 2019 season, he has picked off a total of 13 passes. He's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, but while Carroll said he hasn't spoken to the player about his contract yet, he made it sound like re-signing him would be a top priority for the organization.
"All I can tell you is that he is an awesome part of our team, and we would love to have him with us. This injury is not going to be one that is going to keep him from playing, so we just have to go through it. Unfortunately, it is a really difficult offseason for him in the first three or four months, but he will get back, get going, and we would love to have him with us.”
