Could Doug Baldwin be contemplating retirement with another surgery coming?
Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin’s toughness and competitiveness are his calling cards. His ferocity is how he went from undrafted to a two-time Pro Bowler.
But this has been a really rough offseason for Baldwin, with multiple surgeries, and perhaps his football future is in doubt. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times wrote that it’s believed Baldwin might be “contemplating his football future.”
That’s far from a proclamation that Baldwin will retire. There are no direct signs that he’s planning to step away from the game. Condotta also wrote that “the Seahawks appear to be moving forward with the idea he will be with them in 2019,” pointing out Seattle hasn’t signed a receiver.
But after surgeries this offseason on his shoulder and knee, with a sports hernia surgery coming in April, it wouldn’t be surprising if the 30-year-old Baldwin has at least thought about what comes next.
Doug Baldwin slated for third offseason surgery
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told Condotta that there’s no timetable for when Baldwin will be back. He couldn’t even say if Baldwin’s sports hernia surgery will be his final one this offseason.
“I don’t know that conclusively,” Carroll told the Seattle Times. “Still working on some stuff.”
Last season Baldwin dealt with multiple injuries, and while he gutted it out to play in 13 games, he had just 50 catches for 618 yards.
“He was so banged up,” Carroll said, according to Condotta. “He had a number of things that surfaced last year. It’s been challenging. Having had to deal with that … it’s not going away, here he goes he’s getting operated on in April again.”
Baldwin’s toughness is one of his strengths
It’s impossible to count out Baldwin, given how hard he worked to become one of the NFL’s best receivers. Carroll pointed that out too. But Carroll also was honest about how hard it will be.
“If he could do it, he will. I have no doubt in that,” Carroll said. “But it’s a been a challenging offseason for him. He’s had a lot of stuff he’s been working on.”
Presumably, Baldwin will be back. He’s a great player and hasn’t backed down from a challenge before. But this offseason is unlike any other for him.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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