The Seattle Seahawks wasted little time getting a contract extension done with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who’s now the NFL’s highest paid receiver. It’s a slightly different (but, for now, not particularly concerning) story for All-Pro cornerback and fellow 2023 first-round pick, Devon Witherspoon.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson shared his latest Seahawks notebook over the weekend, with Witherspoon’s looming extension at the top of the list. According to him, an offer by Seattle was made but obviously not agreed
to.
The Seahawks then turned their attention to an extension for star cornerback Devon Witherspoon, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and standout of their Super Bowl LX victory. But the other big-ticket item on their offseason to-do list has not progressed nearly as easily. Seattle made an initial offer several weeks ago, according to a league source, but the two sides do not yet appear to be close to an agreement.
Some in league circles have wondered if the relatively slow pace could be related to the fact that Witherspoon is represented by the same agency — WIN Sports Group — as another star cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, whom the New England Patriots are currently trying to extend.
Now, Witherspoon had his fifth-year option exercised, so he has two years left on his rookie contract. Other than the potential for the market to be set higher by other pending extensions (like New England’s Gonzalez), this is not an emergency situation.
You may recall that Witherspoon’s rookie contract was a minor point of contention in 2023. The payment schedule of his signing bonus resulted in ‘Spoon missing the first two days of training camp as a holdout. Witherspoon has been present in the early offseason workouts, and with OTAs starting on Tuesday it seems more likely than not he’ll be a participant.
Henderson noted that the Seahawks have regularly finalized extensions for players during training camp in July, so don’t fret until there’s reason to.
In terms of average per year, the highest paid corner is Trent McDuffie, who came over from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade and whose subsequent extension is worth $31 million/year.
