Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson sets deadline for new deal
By Samuel Teets
The Seattle Seahawks are officially on the clock for getting quarterback Russell Wilson a new deal. Wilson set the deadline as April 15.
As first reported by the Seattle Times‘ Bob Condotta, superstar quarterback Russell Wilson has set a deadline for the team to offer him a satisfactory new deal. Wilson is in the final year of his current deal, but he’s demanding that the Seahawks give him a new one by April 15, the day offseason workouts start in Seattle.
If you thought that the Seahawks standoff with Earl Thomas last year counted as offseason drama, this clearly tops that. Wilson is a Super Bowl winning quarterback and five-time Pro Bowler, who is in the prime of his career. Wilson won’t actually hold out if the deal isn’t done, probably just shutting down contract talks until after the season. Still, it is in Seattle’s best interest to hammer out this deal and secure their most important player for the next half decade or so.
Wilson’s current deal was signed back in 2015. The four-year contract was worth $87.6 million, $17 million of which is due to Wilson in base salary this year. The 2015 deal made Wilson the second-highest paid quarterback in the league, only behind Aaron Rodgers. However, a ton of quarterbacks have been given new deals since then and Wilson is now only the 12th highest paid player at his position.
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That will change very soon.
Whenever Wilson’s new deal gets done, it will be one of the highest paying in NFL history. Rodgers is currently the highest paid quarterback in the league, making $33.5 million a year. That deal was signed in August of last year, and, as we’ve all seen, the most recent contract tends to be the biggest.
While Wilson is certainly not on the same level as Rodgers in terms of skill, Wilson will come to the negotiating table armed with his own list of accolades. We might see a situation like back in 2015 when Rodgers was on top and Wilson was in second, or Seattle might flip the script and make Wilson the highest paid quarterback in NFL history.
Wilson has thrown together the greatest stretch of his career since signing the deal in 2015. In 2017, he was an MVP candidate until late in the season and led the league with 34 passing touchdowns. Last season he topped that mark with a career-high 35 passing touchdowns. He also tied his career low in interceptions (7) and set a career-high in quarterback rating.
His passing yardage numbers dropped in 2018 because the Seahawks offense focused on running the ball more, but even that would not have worked if Wilson wasn’t around to enforce the air attack.
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At 30 years old, Wilson is in his prime as a passer and could play at this level for anywhere from three to six more years. It might even be longer than that, considering Drew Brees almost won the MVP at age 39 last year.
The Seattle Seahawks must do whatever it takes to hold onto Wilson. He is the lifeblood of the team at this point and they have no shot of making the playoffs without him. While Wilson is expected to play in 2019, the Seahawks should guarantee his participation for this year and in the future by getting this deal done as soon as possible.