HEADLINES

Russell Wilson Declines Lucrative Extension Offer?

July 25th, 2015 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks reportedly offered Russell Wilson a contract that would pay the fourth-year quarterback among the top-five signal-callers in the league, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

But the former Wisconsin and North Carolina State standout’s crusade at an evolutionary pact apparently will continue, with Florio pointing out Wilson’s camp declined the offer worth nearly $21MM per year. That figure, which came in an offer containing “significant” guaranteed money, would place the two-time Pro Bowler third among all quarterbacks, with only Aaron Rodgers ($22MM/year) and Ben Roethlisberger ($21.85MM/AAV) exceeding $21MM per year.

Florio notes the Seahawks don’t want to exceed the Rodgers figure.

Just as it’s done with almost all of its key bastions in recent years. Seattle appears to be making the effort to retain its top free agent. But even though Wilson’s statistics don’t place him among the candidates to earn the aforementioned offer, although he surely has the postseason victories to stack up with the bulk of that quarterback tier, agent Mark Rodgers has steered the quarterback into an intense negotiation that has less than a week to be completed, per the Wilson camp’s figurative pre-training camp deadline looming.

Since Wilson’s salary for this season is a paltry $1.5MM, Florio posits the Seahawks can appease the determined quarterback without reaching the Rodgers threshold. Just by triggering a contract to begin immediately, the Seahawks could sign Wilson to a five-year $100MM deal — or a six-year, $120MM deal — with a new money amount that surpasses Rodgers’ deal but not a per-year contract that does.

Former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren claims to have knowledge of the contract terms and would advise Wilson to accept the deal rather than play for $88K per game this season. Holmgren also said Wilson’s contract will be worth $20MM+ per season, while Florio points out Wilson taking this deal now rather than after the season would put him back at the bargaining table sooner when it comes time to negotiate his third contract.

“I know the Seahawks have not lowballed Russell Wilson. Now, is it an Alex Rodriguez contract, which is twice as much as anybody’s ever made in their life? No. But they have not lowballed him,” Holmgren said in an appearance on The Erik Kuselias Show. “So I think it’s a fair deal, looking at it from an outsider looking in. I have no skin in the game, but I just think — I think he should do this.”

 

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