RENTON, Wash. -- With Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll telling SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday that the team plans to place defensive end Cliff Avril on injured reserve, here's a closer look at his situation and its implications:
Avril's future in question
Carroll has been vague on the specifics of Avril's injury, which occurred in Week 4, when his chin landed on the back of Jacoby Brissett's cleat as he dived to tackle the Indianapolis Colts quarterback from behind. Carroll has said the injury involves Avril's neck and spine, and at one point referred to it as a serious stinger. His comments on the situation have left the impression that there's a real possibility that Avril's season, and maybe even his football career, could be over.
Those possibilities become more distinct with Avril headed to IR. That means he'll have to miss at least eight games. Defensive coordinator Kris Richard didn't rule out the possibility of Avril coming back this season when he spoke with the media on Wednesday, but there's been nothing to suggest that's likely.
Avril is signed with Seattle through 2018, and he's coming off a career-high 11.5 sacks last season. But his age -- he turns 32 in April -- and the structure of his contract have led to speculation that the team could move on after 2017. Avril is scheduled to count $8 million against Seattle's 2018 salary cap, and the team could save $7.5 million of that by releasing him. So his future in Seattle was already in question. His football future, in general, is in further question with his injury.
Avril has discussed his football mortality before. He told The Seattle Times in 2015 that a concussion he suffered in 2011 while with the Detroit Lions frightened him, partly because the first of his two sons had just been born.
“I was like, ‘If I was to ever have something that bad happen again, I would really consider retiring,’" he told The Times. "How much money do you really need to live off of?”
Avril told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday that he isn't considering retirement in light of his neck/spine, saying a comment from Carroll during his Sirius interview was misconstrued. The NFL Network reported Wednesday that Avril is weighing retirement. But ultimately, the decision on playing again might not be in Avril's hands.
Seahawks counting on Clark
Frank Clark has taken over for Avril as the weakside end in Seattle's base defense opposite Michael Bennett, and he'll continue to do so.
Clark is a 2015 second-round pick who plays with tremendous effort and produced 10 sacks last season as a rotational player, second on the team to Avril. Clark's strip-sack of Jared Goff led to one of the Seahawks' five takeaways in their victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5. He filled up the stat sheet in that game with another tackle for loss, plus a pass defensed.
"He's done well. We can only see him continue to get better, the more experience [he gets]," Richard said. "He's been his backup. Now that he's going to essentially be the starter, he's just going to have to be the best version of himself. I think that's really the main focus of it all. Nobody is going to be able to replace Cliff Avril, but you can be the best you that you can be, and Lord willing, that's certainly going to be good enough."
Marcus Smith, Quinton Jefferson and Branden Jackson are the other defensive ends on Seattle's roster. Rookie Malik McDowell, who's been out since suffering a concussion in a summer ATV accident, was recently cleared for conditioning. But the team's top draft pick is still a long way from returning, and it might not happen this season.
Salary-cap effect
Avril's absence will not have any impact on Seattle's 2017 salary cap.
His contract includes $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses for both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. That amounts to $31,250 each game Avril is active. The Seahawks will save that money in cash for every game Avril misses, but according to ESPN's Roster Management System, the $500,000 still counts in full against the 2017 salary cap. The Seahawks will get a credit toward next season's cap for the difference between the roster bonuses he earned and that $500,000.
Avril joined the Seahawks on a two-year, $13 million deal in 2013, then signed a four-year, $28.5 million extension in 2014. According to Spotrac.com, he's made nearly $49 million in NFL salary and bonuses in his 10 seasons.