Last offseason, the Seattle Seahawks were quite active in free agency and had, of note, replaced Geno Smith with Sam Darnold. Smith is now going to be on his third team in as many years, and all Darnold did with Seattle in 2025 was help lead the team to the Super Bowl.
That 2025 offseason was a masterclass by General Manager John Schneider, who is clearly one of the three-best executives in the NFL right now. In free agency this year, the Seahawks haven't been all that active, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
No NFL team can be active every single offseason, as it's clear that Seattle is being more calculated here in 2026. But there is another layer to this - the team does have multiple players who are due for contract extensions, and on Monday, one of those key players landed a contract extension to make him the highest-paid at his position, but what should Seattle do next?
Seattle Seahawks must now extend Sam Darnold and Devon Witherspoon
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who cemented himself as one of the best players in the NFL, period, in 2025, landed a four-year deal that comes out to well over $40 million per season. On a per-year basis, JSN is now the highest-paid wide receiver in the history of the NFL:
ESPN Sources: Offensive Player of the Year and Super-Bowl champion Jaxon Smith-Njigba reached agreement with the Seattle Seahawks on a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension that now makes him the highest-paid WR in NFL history.Â
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2026
The deal averages $42.15 million per year,… pic.twitter.com/WFBtZqE4L2
In 2025, JSN landed Pro Bowl, All-Pro, and Offensive Player of the Year honors after hauling in 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. Smith-Njigba has not missed a regular-season game in his career and is only set to play in his age-24 season in 2026.
Now that he is under contract, the Seahawks should turn to cornerback Devon Witherspoon, their other key player from their 2023 NFL Draft class. Witherspoon has made the Pro Bowl in each year of his career and is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
But after that, the Seahawks must also look to Sam Darnold for an extension. Darnold signed a three-year deal with the team last offseason worth just $33.5 million per season. After the season Darnold had, he is due for a raise that could potentially push $50 million per year.
Retaining key players like this on long-term deals is how the Seahawks will remain atop the NFL. Sure, Darnold and Witherspoon aren't the best at their respective positions, but they're both key players and help the team accomplish what they want to.
Winning two Super Bowls in a row just does not happen that often in the NFL, and if the Seahawks plan on doing that in 2026, Schneider will need to lock-up more players and continue to round-out this roster as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches.