Cliff Avril says he plans to continue his career

One of the top offseason headlines for the Seattle Seahawks is the futures of Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor, whose careers are in doubt due to their respective neck injuries. Avril, whose neck injury occurred in October against the Indianapolis Colts, told NFL Network’s Steve Wyche on Monday that he is seeking to get back on the field.

Avril has been with the Seahawks since 2013, brought on as a key signing by John Schneider to help boost a pass rush that relied almost entirely on Chris Clemons and then-rookie Bruce Irvin. The move worked out perfectly, as he recorded eight sacks and helped lead the Seahawks to their first-ever Super Bowl victory. Avril has recorded 34.5 career sacks in Seattle, to go along with the 39.5 he managed with the Detroit Lions from 2008-2012.

By the time next season starts, Avril will be 32 years old and entering the final year of his four-year contract extension. At the end-of-season press conference, head coach Pete Carroll said that both Cliff and Kam would have “a hard time playing football again,” but between several of Chancellor’s recent tweets and now Avril’s statement to Wyche, it looks as if they’re both going to give it a shot to play in 2018.