Seattle Seahawks Rumors: Has Kam Chancellor Played His Last Game For Seahawks?

Seattle Seahawks rumors about Kam Chancellor were inevitable. The return of thoe Seahawks rumors about Chancellor come as the NFL offseason draws closer. It is expected that Chancellor could holdout again for a better long-term contract from the Seahawks. A report from the Seattle Times shows just how dedicated Chancellor has been to playing football, especially with the damage his hands suffered in the cold of Minnesota. Will it take a big pay raise to keep him happy in Seattle for the 2016 NFL season and beyond?

Prior to the 2015 NFL season, Kam Chancellor told the Seattle Seahawks that he would be holding out for a new contract. The two sides had brief negotiations, but the Seahawks refused to cave to the demands of the All Pro safety. Chancellor ended up missing the first two games of the regular season before deciding that it would be best to simply return to the field. The Seahawks lost both games that he missed, falling to the St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers by a combined 10 points.

Now the Seattle Seahawks rumors about Chancellor are coming up again, as he still doesn’t have a new contract in place. While Chancellor is now in a better place to negotiate with Seattle, he still has two more years on his current deal. The Seahawks are set to pay him $5.1 million for the 2016 NFL season and then $6.8 million for the 2017 NFL season. Chancellor also has a roster bonus for $325,000 should he remain on the team through 2017.

For 2016, Chancellor has the fifth highest contract for a strong safety in the NFL, but only the ninth highest contract for Seattle Seahawks players. Without a new deal, Chancellor would earn less than five other defensive players, including Cliff Avril ($6.5 million) and K.J. Wright ($6.25 million). This is why a holdout is expected to take place very soon. There are also the comments that Chancellor made following his last holdout, when he noted that his contract would be addressed again in the coming offseason.

There are other Seattle Seahawks rumors that indicate the team could have some money to spend very soon. If Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch is released, traded, or simply decided to retire, the Seahawks will have more room under the salary cap for the next two NFL seasons. That could allow the front office to give Chancellor a pay raise, especially if it is felt that the team needs to retain him to continue to be one of the best defenses in the NFL.

With a Kam Chancellor as one of the anchors to the defense, the Seahawks gave up the fewest points for the fourth consecutive season. It is something that has never been done in the Super Bowl era, let alone the salary cap era of the NFL. Keeping a core of Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Bobby Wagner could be a requirement for the Seahawks to make it five straight seasons in 2016. In order to do that, the team may have to seriously re-visit giving Chancellor a contract extension.

With a lot of additional needs on the roster, the Seahawks will have to look at not just replacing free agents on defense, but also giving quarterback Russell Wilson a better offensive line. That might become the top priority during the NFL offseason, with the main target in the first round of the draft becoming a big player for the offensive line. If that is unsuccessful, there are going to be a lot of Seattle Seahawks rumors about signing several free agents. Then comes the issue of making Kam Chancellor happy again and not getting forced into a trade.

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