RENTON — The injuries that limited Patrick Kerney in recent years caused the Pro-Bowl defensive end to call it a career.
Kerney, the team announced before Tuesday’s minicamp practice, has decided to retire. A first-round pick out of Virginia in 1999, Kerney played eight seasons for Atlanta before signing with Seattle prior to the 2007 season.
Kerney piled up 141/2 sacks in his first season in Seattle, earning first-team All-Pro honors and was the runner up for the NFL defensive player of the year award. Kerney was limited to just seven games in 2008 because of injuries, however, and though he played 15 games last season, he battled injuries and was held to just five sacks for the second straight year. Kerney’s offseason elbow surgery following the 2009 season was his fourth in as many years.
“Despite the desire to continue my career, I am retiring from professional football,” Kerney said in a statement. “The toll that has been taken on my body will no longer allow me to train, and hence, perform, at a level that is acceptable to me. It has been a privilege to work for two first-class organizations that are supported by passionate, inspirational fans. I cannot express enough gratitude to all who have supported me throughout my career.”
Kerney’s retirement shouldn’t change the Seahawks plans moving forward.
“We anticipated that this was going to happen with Patrick as we talked to him early on,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “So there is no new thinking caused by this announcement today.”
Is Jones next?
Walter Jones, who missed all of the 2009 season following microfracture surgery in December of 2008, and subsequent surgery during 2009 training camp, has not officially announced his retirement, but that move could be coming. Jones was absent as expected, and the team is waiting to see if he wants to attempt another injury comeback at the age of 36.
“I haven’t talked to Walter in a while now,” Carroll said. “But the last time I did, he was really considering that he’s going to retire, but hadn’t made the final decision enough to come to you guys and make an announcement like Patrick did today. So we’ll just have to wait and see on that one.”
Hill stays home
Linebacker Leroy Hill, who was arrested Saturday night for domestic violence, was not on the field Tuesday.
“There is some time that has to take place for him to get it figured out and all,” Carroll said. “He didn’t need to be with us here in this practice mode. He’s got some work to do and some stuff to deal with. I don’t really have any comment other than that. We’ll just have to wait and see when the information comes in.”
Carroll and general manager John Schneider made the decision to keep Hill away from minicamp.
“John and I both said we thought it would be best for him to take care of his business and get everything worked out,” he said. “So we made that decision for him.”
Moving Marshall?
According to an ESPN report, Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall signed his restricted free agent tender Tuesday to help facilitate a trade. The Seahawks are one of the teams interested in the talented but troubled receiver, though Carroll said there’s not much happening at the moment on his team’s end.
“There is really nothing to report there,” he said. “Nothing much has happened. We’ve done our homework and our research on him and it’s really kind of not in our hands right now…We’re on alert and watching. It’s an interesting situation, so we’ll just have to wait it out.”
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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