The Seattle Seahawks announced they were releasing defensive end Cliff Avril on Friday as rookie mini-camp was set to get underway.
The move cleared the way for Avril to announce a little news of his own.
Avril is joining the on-air staff at Sports Radio 950 KJR. The Jason Puckett and Cliff Avril Show will air from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays with Avril bringing a comprehensive insight into the Seahawks to the KJR airwaves. Avril has been a frequent guest on the radio station the last few months since the end of the Seahawks' season in January.
“I'm excited to join the KJR team!” Avril said. “Seattle is home and I can't wait to cover the best sports city in the world."
The Jason Puckett and Cliff Avril Show will debut on July 9.
“Cliff Avril is a tremendous addition to our team at Sports Radio 950 KJR,” said Rich Moore, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Seattle. “Cliff is a beloved Seahawk who will embrace this community and truly engage with the Seattle sports fans on all our platforms. Cliff had an amazing career and we are lucky to be part of his next chapter.”
Avril has played 10 seasons in the NFL with the last five coming as a member of the Seahawks. Avril's seen both sides of the NFL spectrum. He was a member of the Detroit Lions team that went 0-16 in 2008 and also won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2013. He had 11.5 sacks in 2016 to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.
Avril's NFL career was put in peril due to a neck injury sustained in a Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts last season. The heel of quarterback Jacoby Brissett kicked Avril in the chin as he chased down Brissett from behind. It left Avril with a stinger that ultimately required surgery in November.
"Cliff was a fantastic player for us," Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said on Friday. "We were very fortunate to get him back when we did years ago. And because of where he had been and what he had been through, he came in with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, and did nothing but great stuff. He has been a great leader and a bit of a statesman for us. He always says the right thing and stands for the right stuff and he has been a really high-character guy who you can just always count on.
"He has had a great career with us, we couldn’t have done it without him. I know this is a turn for him, but it’s a good turn. He’s had a good career that he put behind him and he’s moving on feeling good, and we’ll always be grateful for all the work he brought us."
Avril has played in 140 of a possible 160 games during his 10-year career. He'd never played fewer than 13 games in a season prior to his injury last October that ended his 2017 campaign after only four games. He's recorded 74 sacks in his career and forced 29 fumbles as well. He also ends his Seattle career tied for fourth in team history with 13 forced fumbles and his 6.5 sacks in the postseason are the most in franchise history.
Photo Credit: SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 29: Seattle Seahawks star Cliff Avril waves to the crowd as he enters CenturyLink Field during the American Express 'Dinner on the 50'on August 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Paul Conrad/Getty Images for American Express)