The news that the Seahawks already have parted ways with safety Kevin Ellison due to the conclusion that he failed a physical could mean that his relationship with the Chargers has not completely ended.
Per a league source, the Seahawks’ move creates a potential problem for the Chargers.
Given that Seattle’s doctors have determined that Ellison can’t pass a physical, it means that Ellison (in the view of the men in the white coats) came in the door too injured to play. Which means that the Chargers possibly waived him while he was injured.
Which fuels a potential injury grievance against the Chargers.
Conspiracy theorists may wonder whether Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was hoping either to do a favor for his former USC pupil, who could end up recovering all or part of his 2010 salary from San Diego, or to stick it to Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith for various possible reasons (e.g., wanting too much for Charlie Whitehurst, essentially telling the Seahawks to get bent when they called about Vincent Jackson, or generally being in the way of what would have been a much more ideal NFL destination for Carroll).
Still, the motivation doesn’t matter; the maneuver creates a potential problem for Ellison’s original team — unless and until someone else claims him on waivers and he passes the physical.