Legion of Banged Up

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4 members of Legion of Boom could face offseason surgery
by Bob Condotta

Seahawks Jeremy Lane will undergo surgery to repair a broken arm, and Richard Sherman will have Tommy John elbow surgery, but Earl Thomas’ shoulder and Kam Chancellor’s leg also may need operations.

PHOENIX — Four members of the Legion of Boom secondary could be facing surgery in the offseason — three who played through injuries in the Super Bowl on Sunday and another who was hurt in the game.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed Monday that cornerback Richard Sherman will have Tommy John surgery on his left elbow and that cornerback Jeremy Lane will have surgery to repair a broken arm suffered in the first quarter, while safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor also might have to get “fixed up.’’

Thomas suffered a dislocated shoulder in the NFC Championship Game while Chancellor injured his knee in practice last Friday.

Carroll indicated all should be fine for the start of the 2015 season and called Sherman, Thomas and Chancellor all playing in the Super Bowl “heroic.’’

The surgery Sherman is having generally is associated with baseball pitchers, and in those instances can require a yearlong rehab.

But Carroll said Sherman should be recovered by the 2015 season.

“As long as Sherm doesn’t want to become a late-inning reliever and go with it from the left side, then I think we’re going to be OK,’’ he said. “There’s plenty of time now. We’ll work all that out. I don’t think there’s any concern.”

Carroll’s comments on Chancellor made it clear his injury was more serious than indicated by the designation of “probable’’ he carried into the game. Carroll added the injury could be related to one Chancellor had earlier in his career.

Carroll said there was doubt as to whether Chancellor would play, but that “he woke up on Sunday morning and said ‘I can do this.’ And they strapped him up and he went out there and played. It was a superhuman thing that he pulled off.’’

Carroll said Chancellor will be assessed to determine treatment.

Lane was hurt while returning an interception in the first quarter when he fell on his left arm while bracing for a fall.

“He had a really difficult break,’’ Carroll said. “He’s going to be OK, but it’s a significant surgery.’’

Asked whether Thomas will need surgery, Carroll said: “I don’t know that yet. Sometimes with the labrums you don’t. So I don’t know that.”

Search for Quinn replacement

With Atlanta officially hiring Dan Quinn on Monday as head coach, the Seahawks now will ramp up the search for a replacement.

There has been much speculation that the team might just promote defensive-backs coach Kris Richard. Linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. also could be a candidate.

But Carroll on Monday indicated the team will conduct a search.

“It’s a process, and we’ll work it out,’’ Carroll said. “I have nothing to say about it right now.”

The new hire will be the third defensive coordinator at Seattle under Carroll. Quinn in 2013 replaced Gus Bradley, who was the defensive coordinator in Carroll’s first two seasons before becoming head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Notes

• Carroll said defensive end Cliff Avril “had concussion issues’’ after a hit to the head. He left the game in the third quarter.

• The Seahawks are scheduled to clean out their lockers Tuesday and then head into the offseason. Players are off until April 20, when the team can begin its official offseason training program.