The Seattle Seahawks have become a very different team over the last few years and 2019 is going to change the landscape of things even more. Two veterans were released by the team on Thursday after failing their physicals and it truly is the end of an era. The team made the official announcement that “two Seattle icons” are no longer with the team as they have cut wide receiver Doug Baldwin and safety Kam Chancellor.
As reported by Bleacher Report , the two were a huge part of the team as they brought home a Super Bowl Championship, two NFC Championships, and a number of playoff victories. Unfortunately, failed physicals won’t help you in the NFL and they will result in you being cut by any team.
Chancellor isn’t a huge surprise as he spent the entire 2018 season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list due to a neck injury suffered in 2017. It is unknown if he will ever be able to play again as some have believed that injury to be career-ending which may have finally come about with his release from Seattle.
In the case of Doug Baldwin, he’s already undergone three surgeries since the end of the 2018 season and he’s missed a lot of time over the last few years. There were even reports back in April that he may simply retire due to his lingering injuries and the release from Seattle may end up helping his decision.
Two Seattle icons.
Thank you for everything, @KamChancellor and @DougBaldwinJr . ? pic.twitter.com/k27vjOMTjU
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 9, 2019
After hearing of Baldwin’s release, many believe this is the end of his career which began back in 2011. He has played every single moment of his career in Seattle and his final numbers will likely be 493 receptions for 6,563 yards and 49 touchdowns.
If any team decides to take a chance on Baldwin, there will need to be quite a bit of healing and work done for him to pass a physical. His most recent surgery was a sports hernia operation which was set to put him out of action entirely for about two months.
Kam Chancellor began his NFL career in 2010 and he has also spent every single year with the Seattle Seahawks. If this is the end of the road for him, he will finish his career with 606 total tackles, 12 interceptions, and 11 forced fumbles.
Many are expecting Chancellor to retire as well as his injuries have simply taken too much out of him.
The Seattle Seahawks are a much different team now than they were during the days of the Legion of Boom. A few remaining pieces kept holding on, but the releases of Kam Chancellor and Doug Baldwin will truly signal a new era in the NFC West.