The days of the Seattle Seahawks being able to build an absurdly stacked roster because they owe Russell Wilson so little money appear to be ending soon. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback and team are said to be “very close” on a new deal.
ESPN Seahawks reporter Terry Blount joined 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Brock and Salk” Friday and said that the team and Wilson are very close to a contract extension.
“I think it’s almost done now. I’ve had people tell me there may be more guaranteed than ever before. It’s going to be a complicated deal, but I think they will get it done. From what I’ve been told they’re very close, they’re just trying to make sure every single thing is in place before they go forward with this,” Blount said. “I think it’s going to be bigger and crazier and different from what any contract has ever been.”
There was a lot of chatter last month about a new deal between Wilson and the Seahawks. Most of the speculation was that the two sides were going to get creative in order to satisfy both their wants. The Seahawks were hoping Wilson would give them a hometown discount so that they could afford to surround him with more talent. In exchange, Wilson’s side would want more money guaranteed in his deal — potentially the entire amount guaranteed. This would be unprecedented in the NFL as players — superstars even — rarely receive more than 50 percent of their total contract guaranteed.
Wilson has been playing on a cheap rookie contract he signed after being drafted in the third round in 2012. His deal was for nearly $3 million over four years, which means the Seahawks got away with paying a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback peanuts the past three season. Rather than having to spend $18 million on the quarterback position like so many other championship teams, the Seahawks only had to pay Wilson around half a million dollars. Wilson is set to earn $1.5 million next season, though he will likely receive a huge raise in the coming months. That’s not bad money for a guy who used to beat people up and who some supposedly think is not black enough to be a proper leader.
