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It was a sleepless night for Seattle Seahawks fans with Russell Wilson’s self-imposed extension deadline about to pass, but the team was able to work out a deal with their franchise player that will keep him in blue and silver through 2023.
Early Tuesday morning, Seattle and their star quarterback agreed to a four-year extension worth $140 million, including a record $65 million signing bonus.
The $35 million average annual value of the deal, which will keep 30-year-old Wilson with the Seahawks through the 2023 season, makes Wilson the highest-paid player in the league, surpassing 35-year-old Aaron Rodgers and his $33.5 million average annual salary.
Overall, the contract includes $107 million guaranteed and also has a no-trade clause.
“Russell’s goal and his hope was that he would continue his career with the Seahawks and continue to bring championships to this town,” Rodgers said, according to the Associated Press. “He believes there is still unfinished business and he is looking forward to pursuing that without having to worry about contracts and his future.”
A sleepy Wilson confirmed the deal alongside his wife Ciara on Instagram.
The five-time Pro Bowler is coming off a season where he tossed a career-high 35 touchdowns despite only attempting 427 passes — his fewest number of attempts since his second NFL season when Seattle won the Super Bowl. He also ran a career-low 67 times as the Seahawks made the main focus of their offense their running backs.
To make the extension worth it, Seattle — which led the NFL in run-to-pass ratio on first down and run-to-pass ratio overall last season — will have to let Wilson air it out as well as get him some weapons. If they do, the Seahawks could get themselves back into the Super Bowl conversation quicker than most would have projected.
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