Doug Baldwin's time with the Seattle Seahawks -- and potentially his NFL career -- is over. The team announced on Thursday that it has terminated Baldwin's contract as well as that of safety Kam Chancellor, both with failed-physical designations. It was an expected move with Chancellor, who suffered a career-ending neck injury in 2017 and had remained on Seattle's roster since then purely for salary-cap purposes. Baldwin's future was up in the air after the 30-year-old receiver endured an injury-riddled 2018 season. General manager John Schneider confirmed during the draft that Baldwin was contemplating retirement, having just undergone his second surgery of the offseason. In a statement, Schneider called it a "difficult decision" to move on from Baldwin and Chancellor given what both meant to the most successful stretch of football the Seahawks have experienced. "These are two of the most iconic players in franchise history, and both were instrumental in establishing our championship culture, great examples of competitiveness and leadership on the field and in the community," Schneider said. "These legendary players will always be a part of our Seahawks family." Baldwin's remarkable story saw him go from an undrafted free agent in 2011 out of Stanford to one of the most prolific receivers in Seahawks history. His 49 receiving touchdowns are second only to Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent. That included a career-best 14 TDs in 2015, which tied for the league lead and helped Baldwin earn one of his two Pro Bowl nods. He ranks third on the Seahawks' all-time receptions list (493) and third in receiving yards (6,563). Baldwin missed three games in 2018 and was physically compromised throughout the year while dealing with injuries to both knees, his shoulder, elbow and groin. He had surgery early in the offseason on his shoulder and more recently had surgery for a sports hernia. He also had what coach Pete Carroll described as a non-surgical procedure on his knee. Baldwin finished 2018 with 50 catches (his fewest since 2013) for 618 yards (his fewest since 2012) and five touchdowns. He acknowledged late in the year that he was "on the downside" of his career at 30 years old. "It's been hell," he said in November while describing his injury-filled season, during which his streak of 89 consecutive games played was snapped. That had been the fourth-longest streak among active receivers. "I've never had this many injuries before," he continued. "So it's been a journey, that's for sure. But it's been a journey that I've come to appreciate because it's taught me a lot about myself not only as a football player but as a man, and how I handle these challenges." But a source told ESPN after the season that Baldwin's injuries "scared him." "He has been an extraordinary part of this program since we've been here and he has given us everything he has had, been a great competitor, player and all that," Carroll said during the draft, after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Baldwin may have played his final down. "We believe in him so much and trust in him so much that wherever this goes, we're going to support him forever. He's been a great contributor in so many ways, not just on the team but in the community and everything else. He's been awesome, so we'll see what happens. He's working through it and we're going to follow Doug on this one." Baldwin's release leaves Tyler Lockett as the Seahawks' clear-cut No. 1 receiver, a role he ascended to last season. They drafted DK Metcalf at the end of the second round and added two more receivers on Day 3: Gary Jennings (fourth round) and John Ursua (seventh). They also signed Terry Wright and Jazz Ferguson as UDFAs, further protecting themselves at receiver with Baldwin's future uncertain. Baldwin had two years and $21 million remaining on his contract. It was scheduled to pay him $9.25 million in 2019 base salary with another $750,000 available in per-game roster bonuses. Assuming the team doesn't use a post-June 1 designation, his release will clear $6,856,250 in 2019 cap space. A post-June-1 release would clear $10 million while pushing half of his $6,287,500 in dead money into 2020. However, Baldwin could potentially be eligible for a $1.2 million injury protection, a collectively-bargained benefit that would count against Seattle's cap. By being released as opposed to retiring while still under contract, Baldwin won't be subject to potential forfeiture of his remaining signing bonus proration. Like Baldwin, Chancellor is a virtual lock to end up in the Seahawks' Ring of Honor. A fifth-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2010, he was a founding member of the Legion of Boom secondary that played a key role in one of the best stretches of defense in recent NFL history. Chancellor made four Pro Bowls before his career effectively ended on an innocuous-looking tackle midway through the 2017 season. He later specified that his neck injury was spinal stenosis, or a narrowing of the spinal canal, and said he also had bone spurs there. Chancellor had two years remaining on his contract. The Seahawks carried him on PUP last season because releasing him would have caused his 2018 cap number to skyrocket to nearly $20 million. They waited until now, when the cap penalties would no longer be as severe. The team will clear either $2.3 or $4.8 million in 2018 cap space with Chancellor's release, depending on whether they use the post-June-1 designation. Chancellor is still entitled to $5.2 million of his $10 million 2019 base salary because that amount was guaranteed for injury. With Baldwin and Chancellor no longer on the roster, the only remaining Seahawks from their Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Denver Broncos are quarterback Russell Wilson and linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright.<doc-sep>Elaine Thompson/Associated Press The Seattle Seahawks released longtime stars Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor on Thursday because of failed physicals. Seahawks general manager John Schneider said in a statement: "The Seahawks have made the difficult decision to terminate/failed physical Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor. These are two of the most iconic players in franchise history, and both were instrumental in establishing our championship culture, great examples of competitiveness and leadership on the field and in the community. These legendary players will always be a part of our Seahawks family." Chancellor and Baldwin have been a big part of Seattle's extended run of success in recent years. The team has made the playoffs in seven of the last nine seasons, reaching the Super Bowl twice. They helped capture the franchise's first Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVIII. Chancellor, a fifth-round draft pick by the Seahawks in 2010, is a four-time Pro Bowl safety who was a key member of the Legion of Boom. He piled up 641 tackles, 12 interceptions and 44 pass breakups in eight seasons. Chancellor hasn't played since suffering a neck injury in November 2017. He discussed the challenges presented by the injury in July 2018: Video Play Button Videos you might like An undrafted free agent out of Stanford in 2011, Baldwin leaves Seattle as one of the Seahawks' greatest receivers ever. He ranks second in franchise history with 49 receiving touchdowns and third in both receptions (493) and yards (6,563). However, the 30-year-old has spent the early part of this offseason trying to get healthy. He underwent operations on both his shoulder and knee following the 2018 season, and he then had sports hernia surgery in March. Baldwin's health has led him to contemplate retirement this offseason, per the News Tribune's Gregg Bell: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted this move could mark the end of the road for the wideout: As ESPN's Bill Barnwell pointed out, these transactions are just the latest in the roster transformation that has taken place in Seattle since its last Super Bowl appearance in February 2015: Stars such as Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Marshawn Lynch have moved on in recent years. Chancellor and Baldwin will be remembered as all-time great Seahawks, but unfortunately for them, injuries cut their time in Seattle short.<doc-sep>The Seattle Seahawks are parting ways with two players who played a huge role in their successes the past decade. The contracts of both wide receiver Doug Baldwin and safety Kam Chancellor were terminated with failed physical designations on Thursday, signaling the end of their time in Seattle and potentially the NFL altogether. Chancellor spent all of 2018 on the physically unable to perform list because of a 2017 neck injury, and Baldwin caught 50 passes for 618 yards while battling an array of injuries. The two statistical totals were Baldwin’s lowest since 2012, his second year as a pro. The team acknowledged that Baldwin had “multiple” surgeries this offseason. Recent reports indicated that Baldwin was considering retiring. “The Seahawks have made the difficult decision to terminate/failed physical Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider said. “These are two of the most iconic players in franchise history and both were instrumental in establishing our championship culture, great examples of competitiveness and leadership on the field and in the community. These legendary players will always be a part of our Seahawks family.” Doug Baldwin's time with the Seattle Seahawks has officially come to an end. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Chancellor suffered a career-ending neck injury Chancellor was a stalwart in the defensive backfield for some of the best defenses in recent memory, including the 2013 Super Bowl champions. He helped Seattle lead the NFL in scoring defense for four straight seasons from 2012-2015 while earning four Pro Bowl and two second-team All-Pro nods. Story continues A three-time team captain, Chancellor totaled 641 tackles, 12 interceptions and nine forced fumbles over eight seasons with the Seahawks. His playing career was cut short when he injured his neck on Nov. 9, 2017 against Arizona. He remained on the roster in 2018 for salary cap purposes with this day — having his contract terminated — always on the horizon. Last year, Chancellor, a 2010 fifth-round draft choice, said he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis with “a buildup of calcification behind his C-2 and C-3 vertebrae,” according to the Seattle Times. He said he also has multiple bone spurs in his spine. Baldwin went from undrafted to one of Seattle’s best Baldwin was not chosen in the 2011 draft, but went on to lead the Seahawks in receptions (51), receiving yards (788) and receiving touchdowns (4) that year. Over his eight seasons, Baldwin caught 493 passes for 6,563 yards, both third-most in franchise history. His 49 touchdowns ranks second in the Seahawks record books, trailing only Hall of Famer Steve Largent. Baldwin, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, owns the franchise record for touchdown catches in a season (14 in 2015) and tied Bobby Engram’s team record for receptions in a season with 94 in 2016. With the possibility that Baldwin would not be healthy enough to play in 2019, the Seahawks drafted two wide receivers: D.K. Metcalf (Ole Miss) in the second round and Gary Jennings (West Virginia) in the fourth. More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>
The Seahawks have terminated contracts of wide receiver Doug Baldwin and strong safety Kam Chancellor with failed physical designations, the team announced Thursday. Where does release of Doug Baldwin leave Seahawks’ offense? “The Seahawks have made the difficult decision to terminate/failed physical Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider said in a statement. “These are two of the most iconic players in franchise history and both were instrumental in establishing our championship culture, great examples of competitiveness and leadership on the field and in the community. These legendary players will always be a part of our Seahawks family.” While Chancellor’s official retirement was long expected as he has not played since 2017, Thursday’s move answers questions that stemmed from a more recent report about Baldwin’s potential retirement. Baldwin, 30, originally signed on with the Seahawks in 2011 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Stanford. Baldwin didn’t just work his way onto Seattle’s 53-man roster; he became the top target for then-Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, finishing his rookie year with 788 yards and four touchdowns. He remained Russell Wilson’s top target in all but three seasons (2012, 2013, and 2018), and holds franchise records for most receiving touchdowns in a single season (14, set in 2015) and most catches in a single season (94, set in 2016). He ranks third in team history in all-time receiving yards (6,563) behind Brian Blades and Hall of Famer Steve Largent, and is second only to Largent in career touchdowns (49). However, after playing through a 2018 season that was marred by injury, Baldwin underwent three surgeries this offseason to repair damage to his shoulder, knee, and repair a sports hernia. On April 26, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Baldwin was facing retirement “due to the cumulative effect of multiple injuries.” Chancellor, 31, informally announced the end of his playing career in July 2018 after suffering a neck injury, but to avoid forfeiting a part of his guaranteed salary, he was retained on Seattle’s roster. Chancellor remained with the team throughout the season, where he made appearances at training camp and games. Chancellor, a fifth-round pick by the Seahawks in 2010, was an original member of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom secondary. Over eight seasons, he recorded 641 tackles (434 solo tackles), 44 passes defended, 12 interceptions, nine forced fumbles, and two sacks, and was a four-time Pro Bowler. Along with former Seahawk Earl Thomas, Chancellor formed the safety tandem of a defense that led the league in fewest points allowed for four consecutive seasons. Seahawks add three free agent veterans | Ansah ‘makes everybody better’