Very Little Progress In Russell Wilson Contract Talks
We’re almost a week away from the April 15 deadline that Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has set for a new contract, but Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times hears that there has been very little progress between player and team as of yet. That is despite the fact that the Seahawks were reportedly aware of the deadline in January, and despite the fact that head coach Pete Carroll indicated that extension talks would begin in January (which did not actually happen).
Of course, it’s not as if the two sides are somehow precluded from working out a deal after the April 15 deadline, which has no significance other than being the start of the Seahawks’ offseason training program. Condotta suggests that Wilson set the deadline simply because he wants to avoid an offseason of speculation about his contract, and because it’s unlikely that the quarterback market is going to change much between April and July, so it doesn’t necessarily make sense to wait if he can avoid it.
Additionally, both Wilson and the Seahawks know that Wilson has more leverage than he did when he signed his last extension in 2015, and Wilson likewise knows that the team is more apt to go year-to-year with the franchise tag. Wilson has already said that he would not hold out if he is hit with the tag, and given the success that Kirk Cousins had going year-to-year, it makes sense that a player like Wilson would be open to the idea.
As Condotta observes, Wilson also would not hold out this year if his April 15 deadline passes without a new contract in place. But if that happens, the “strong implication” is that the 30-year-old passer would tell the team that he doesn’t want to negotiate again until after the 2019 season is over. And that may be just fine with the Seahawks, who could put the franchise tag on Wilson in 2020 and 2021. The QB franchise tender for those two seasons are projected to come in at $30.6MM and $35MM, respectively, and those numbers are not too far removed from what Wilson would get under a new contract anyway. Plus, Wilson would still be able to hit the open market at age 33 — a franchise tag in 2022 would come in at an unpalatable $52MM — and 2021 is the last year of Carroll’s current contract. The head coach will be 70 at that point, and he may choose to call it a career.
Indeed, if Wilson and the Seahawks are able to hammer out a new deal, the current thinking is that it would only be a three-year pact that runs through the 2021 season. There is speculation that the deal would be worth $100MM guaranteed, which would give Wilson the satisfaction of setting new precedents while allowing him to get at least one more big payday three years down the road.
Latest On Russell Wilson, Seahawks
Although news surfaced of Russell Wilson‘s April 15 deadline for a new contract, the team was not blindsided by it and thus trying to address this situation at the 11th hour.
The eighth-year Seahawks quarterback provided that date to the team in January, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Wilson has one season remaining on his four-year, $87.6MM deal. As of February, no new negotiations had commenced, despite Pete Carroll indicating they would in January.
As for what would be next if the Seahawks do not extend Wilson within these next two weeks, the prospect of a franchise tag stands to increase. However, Wilson would not plan a holdout if tagged in 2020, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (video link) the decorated passer would sign his franchise tender soon after.
Despite the possibility for acrimony here, the Seahawks would also like to get a deal done by Wilson’s deadline, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link). The Seahawks, who have begun negotiations with Bobby Wagner and franchised Frank Clark last month, begin their offseason program April 15.
This may well be a negotiating tactic by Wilson’s side, with the 30-year-old franchise cornerstone signing his current contract late in the 2015 offseason. But Wilson has a bit more leverage this time around, having earned more than $60MM on his current deal compared to having played on a third-round rookie salary from 2012-14.
In 2018, Wilson expected a scenario of being franchised in 2020. The quarterback tag was worth just less than $25MM this year. Wilson in that price neighborhood would be quite reasonable, obviously, given what he’s worth to the Seahawks. Wilson piloted the Seahawks to another playoff berth last season, doing so when few expected the team to be playing in January. He is now the organization’s unquestioned centerpiece, which was not necessarily the case in 2015 — when the Seahawks’ defense housed Pro Bowlers Wagner, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. Only Wagner and K.J. Wright remain from those Super Bowl units.
When Wilson signed his current deal, he was the NFL’s second-highest-paid quarterback. Due to the seismic shifts in a previously stagnant market, the signal-caller salary landscape looks quite different now. Wilson is the 11th-highest-paid passer. Any new deal would almost certainly have to eclipse $30MM AAV, which Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan did via 2018 extensions, but likely would make Wilson the game’s highest-paid player.
Russell Wilson Sets Deadline For New Deal
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has given the team an April 15 deadline to complete negotiations on a new contract, a source tells Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. It’s not clear what the passing of the deadline without a deal would mean, but it would likely shut down talks until after his contract expires following the 2019 season.
As it stands, Wilson has one year to go on his four-year, $87.6MM deal. Wilson, who currently ranks 12th among QBs in yearly salary, likely wants a new deal to push him up the chart and he wants it done by the start of the club’s official offseason workout program. The reason for the deadline is unclear, but Wilson probably wants to minimize distractions heading into the new campaign.
In January, Wilson indicated he would be fine with playing the 2019 season without a new contract.
“Oh, yeah, if that’s what I’ve got to do,’’ Wilson said. “It’s business and everything else and I know essentially after this season I could potentially be a free agent, that kind of thing. I don’t think that way — I see myself being in Seattle. I love Seattle, special place for me. I also understand it’s a business world and everything else.”
The Seahawks also have the franchise tag on their disposal, so Wilson is not assured to reach free agency in March. The franchise tag for QBs would cost a projected $30.6MM and a repeat tag in 2021 would come in at a whopping $36MM. Meanwhile, the collective bargaining agreement is set to expire after the 2020 season, which may cloud negotiations for Wilson and other star players around the league.
NFC West Notes: Rams, Seahawks, Wilson
Rams left guard Rodger Saffold wants to return to Los Angeles in 2019, but the pending free agent also acknowledged the reality of the open market. “I don’t think that it’s any surprise to people to know that I want to be back,” Saffold said Tuesday, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com. “At the end of the day, though, I need to make sure that it’s something fair for me… something I can use and feel that I was treated fair.” Saffold, 30, just wrapped a five-year, $31.722MM contract with the Rams and is the most accomplished guard scheduled to hit free agency next month. While Los Angeles has roughly $35MM in cap space, the club also has several other free agents — Ndamukong Suh, Dante Fowler, and Lamarcus Joyner among them — whom it may want to re-sign. Saffold could potentially take precedent given that the Rams’ offensive line, which ranked top-six in both adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate, was critical to their run as NFC champions.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Although Russell Wilson is entering the final season of his contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that the Seahawks have yet to begin extension discussions with their franchise quarterback. Indeed, according to a report from 710 Sports in Seattle, a new deal for Wilson likely won’t be agreed to until at least August. Wilson, 30, inked a four-year, $87.6MM extension in 2015, a deal which — at the time — made him the league’s second highest-paid quarterback. The NFL’s salary cap, and signal-caller salaries, have risen at a steady rate since, leaving Wilson as just the 11th-highest-paid QB on an annual basis. He’ll surely target at least $30MM/year on his next deal, and given Seattle’s willingness to reset positional markets, Wilson could surpass Aaron Rodgers‘ $33.5MM AAV.
- Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor will have $5.2MM of his $10MM 2019 base salary become fully guaranteed on Friday, reports Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. That total was already guaranteed for injury only, and given that Chancellor hasn’t played since 2017 due to a neck injury, he was going to receive that money anyway. Seattle, which placed Chancellor on the physically unable to perform list in 2018, didn’t cut Chancellor last season due to salary cap ramifications, but they’ll likely do so later this offseason, per Henderson. Chancellor, meanwhile, doesn’t have any incentive to announce his retirement given that he’d forfeit money by doing so.
- In case you missed it, the Bengals want to interview Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant for their defensive coordinator job.
NFC Notes: Wilson, Foles, Newton, Rams
We heard in early January that the Seahawks would begin contract negotiations with star QB Russell Wilson “soon,” but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes that the two sides have yet to have a single contract discussion. Wilson is under club control through the 2019 season and is set to earn $17MM next year, and he has previously stated he would be willing to play out the final year of his deal and perhaps go year-to-year under the franchise tag. But as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times observes, the fact that Wilson and the Seahawks have not talked contract yet does not mean much (Twitter link). He says the team will get through other team-building matters first and then start exploring extensions, just as it did when it came time to explore a new deal with Wilson in 2015.
Now for more from the NFC:
- We know that the Eagles want to trade Nick Foles, and yesterday we explored (again) how such a trade is likely to come about. While player and club would like to work “in concert” in determining Foles’ next team, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP) says the Eagles are going to try to keep Foles out of the NFC East — the Redskins and Giants could be in the market — and would prefer to deal him to an AFC team. Meanwhile, Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic believes it only make sense for the Eagles to franchise Foles if they already have a trade in place, and that the recent chatter concerning the franchise tag is merely a bluff at this point.
- Schefter confirms a report from earlier this week that Panthers QB Cam Newton, who underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery last week, is expected to be ready in time for training camp and certainly will be good to go when the regular season rolls around.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that the Rams, who signed running back C.J. Anderson in December, “absolutely” want to re-sign Anderson this offseason. That makes sense considering how good Anderson has been in his brief tenure with the club, and considering Todd Gurley‘s history of knee problems. Anderson, though, could be in line for a bigger role or salary than what Los Angeles is prepared to give. Anderson is expected to get plenty of work in tonight’s Super Bowl.
- Rams QB coach Zac Taylor will be formally announced as the Bengals’ next head coach tomorrow, and Rapoport tweets that LA may move senior offensive assistant Jedd Fisch to QB coach. The club could also give current TE coach/passing game coordinator Shane Waldron the passing game coordinator title without requiring him to coach a position and bring in Wes Phillips to coach the tight ends.
- As expected, the Buccaneers will transition to a 3-4, one-gap defense under new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Laine looks at how the Bucs could deploy their current personnel to mirror Wade Phillips‘ success in transitioning two 4-3 defenses to 3-4 schemes.
West Notes: Fitz, Wilson, Henry
Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald did not announce that he would return for the 2018 season until mid-February of 2018, and it appears that we could have a similar wait in 2019. Fitz told ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier this week that he would take some time to collect his thoughts after a difficult 3-13 season, but that the team’s recent hiring of new head coach Kliff Kingsbury would not sway him one way or another. If Fitz does decide to play, he would technically be eligible for free agency, but it is impossible to imagine him playing for a team other than Arizona.
Now for more from the league’s west divisions:
- This probably doesn’t mean much, especially in light of last week’s reports on the matter, but Kingsbury has said that he would consider drafting Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray with the Cardinals‘ No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, per ESPN’s Sam Ponder (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks are set to begin contract negotiations with quarterback Russell Wilson, and in a piece that is well-worth a full read, Joel Corry of CBS Sports says that Wilson’s new deal will pay him at least $35MM per year.
- After being activated on Monday, Chargers TE Hunter Henry is expected to play in the team’s divisional round showdown in Foxborough this afternoon, per Albert Breer of SI.com.
- We heard yesterday that Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell will be a top target of new Broncos coach Vic Fangio, and Mike Klis of 9News tweets that Donatell is currently deciding between staying in Chicago or following Fangio to Denver.
- Former Buccaneers defensive line coach Brentson Buckner will join the Raiders in the same capacity, per Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- 49ers defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina will not be returning to the team, per Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter).
Seahawks, Wilson To Begin Negotiations
Russell Wilson‘s last contract negotiations proved quite the test for both sides, and the Seahawks quarterback made significant strides as a player in the years since. And the NFL’s quarterback salary landscape looks remarkably different now than it did in 2015.
With their season over and their franchise cornerstone entering a contract year, the Seahawks will soon begin extension talks, Pete Carroll said during a radio interview with 710 Seattle (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, on Twitter).
The last update provided on these looming talks came in September, when Wilson’s camp had not received any word the Seahawks were progressing on a new deal. Now that Wilson is in a contract year, that will change. But this may take a while. As of last offseason, Wilson expected this process to end with the Seahawks franchise-tagging him in 2020.
Wilson signed a four-year, $87.6MM deal with the Seahawks in July 2015. That re-up has since been surpassed by 10 other quarterbacks. With two passers now making at least $30MM per year, Wilson is unlikely to sign for less than that, especially considering he just turned 30. He should still be in his prime when this his third contract concludes. And with the Seahawks moving on from numerous high-profile veterans, making 2018 their first fully Wilson-centric team (and an unexpected playoff entrant, at that), the quarterback’s camp will surely demand their client be compensated like similar franchise centerpieces across the league.
Although Wilson was a two-time NFC champion when he signed his most recent Seattle deal, he compiled his first two 4,000-yard seasons over the course of that pact while throwing at least 34 touchdown passes three times in that span as well.
Seahawks Have Not Approached Russell Wilson About A New Deal
The Seahawks have not approached star quarterback Russell Wilson to discuss a new contract, and there are currently no plans to have such a discussion, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. Wilson is under club control through 2019, and while Seattle generally does not redo deals that have multiple years remaining, the team has made a few exceptions to that organizational philosophy in the past, and one might expect that Wilson would be a player for whom the Seahawks would make such an exception. Indeed, he has as much time left on his current contract as Aaron Rodgers had when he signed his recent massive extension with the Packers.
However, we did hear earlier this year that negotiations between Wilson and Seattle — if they do end up happening at some point in the future — are not expected to be pretty, and Wilson himself said that he expects to be hit with the franchise tag in 2020. But as La Canfora points out, going year-to-year with the franchise tag for a player like Wilson is probably not the best strategy, and allowing him to enter the final year of his contract at a time when contract values continue to soar and the cap continues to increase significantly may not be the wisest move either.
It could be that Seattle simply does not plan to hang on to Wilson beyond 2019. The team is no longer the powerhouse it was earlier this decade, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times recently wrote that the Seahawks’ performance in 2018 could go a long way in determining the futures of both Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle. Although Condotta acknowledged that it would be difficult to imagine the Seahawks not making every effort to keep Wilson, he noted that the franchise’s future looks as unclear as at any time since Wilson arrived in 2012.
It is also worth noting that the Seahawks were at their dominant best when Wilson was playing under his rookie deal, so if the club does choose to rebuild, it could seek to leverage Wilson as part of those efforts. Indeed, La Canfora says that some GMs believe Seattle could get up to three first-round picks in exchange for Wilson if it puts him on the trading block.
Extra Points: Kaepernick, Raiders, Greg Little, Cardinals
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider were deposed in the collusion grievance filed by Colin Kaepernick this week, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
Expanding on the subject, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recounts that the “Seahawks were planning to bring in the quarterback for a workout, but the team canceled the session when Kaepernick declined to commit to stand for the national anthem.”
Despite the case, Carroll has not closed the door on the former 49ers quarterback joining the team. As Florio writes, however, “It would be awkward, to say the least, for Kaepernick to sign with Seattle after his lawyers questioned Schneider and Carroll under oath…”
Seattle is still the only team to have brought Kaepernick in for a visit since hitting free agency after the 2016 season. This long saga still appears to be far from a conclusion.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Earlier this week, the Raiders signed longtime Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson to a one-year deal. The details of that contract came out today, with the 13-year pro set to make $1.5MM. The contract includes a $200,000 signing bonus and $500,000 total guaranteed. With incentives, the deal could top out at $2.25MM, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
- Former Browns receiver Greg Little appeared at the Cardinals rookie minicamp, Kyle Odegard of azcardinals.com writes. Little, who hasn’t played a game since the 2014 season, was a promising second-round pick who flamed out after three seasons. The Cardinals offered the 28-year-old wideout a tryout this weekend and impressed new head coach Steve Wilks.
- ESPN’s Dan Graziano took a crack at projecting the next big-money quarterbacks. To no one’s surprise, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tops the list in 2020, but the sides are expected to come to a deal before that time. Among the other signal-callers who could surpass Kirk Cousins‘ big deal are Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Russell Wilson Expects To Be Franchised In 2020
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson‘s current contract runs through the 2019 campaign, but he expects to be in Seattle beyond next season. Wilson and his camp expect the Seahawks to deploy the franchise tag in 2020, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
As expected, the quarterback contract landscape has seen increased salaries this year, as Matt Ryan last week topped Kirk Cousins as the NFL’s highest-paid player. Ryan received nearly $100M in full guarantees and collect $30MM annually on his new deal, setting new marks at the position. Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers is expected to receive an extension in the near future, and he’ll surely move past Ryan in both guaranteed money and per-year average.
Wilson, 29, is currently earning $21.9MM per season under the terms of the deal he signed in 2015, a figure which ranks 11th among quarterbacks. If he receives the franchise tag in 2020, Wilson would be entitled to a 20% raise over his 2019 cap charge, meaning the tender would be worth $30.34MM. If Seattle used the tag again in 2021, it would cost roughly $36.41MM.
Previous reports have indicated negotiations between Wilson and the Seahawks could be contentious. Seattle reportedly explored the 2018 crop of quarterback prospects, and although the club ultimately selected only seventh-round Alex McGough, Wilson’s team contacted the Seahawks as to why they were interested in this year’s passers.