Minor NFL Transactions: 5/19/26
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Reverted to IR: RB Montrell Johnson, TE Bryce Pierre
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Aaron Anderson, LB Reid Carrico, LB Markees Watts
- Waived: TE Caden Prieskorn, WR Isaiah Wooden
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Michael Briscoe, LB Devean Deal
Seahawks First-Rounder Jadarian Price To Take Kenneth Walker’s Role
The Seahawks surprised many observers by taking Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the No. 32 pick in April’s draft. The move, though, filled a major hole with Kenneth Walker now in Kansas City and Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL.
Charbonnet is expected to be sidelined well into the regular season, but Price will not have to take over Seattle’s backfield on his own. Instead, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, he will replace Walker, who was Seattle’s leading rusher over the last four years but saw a near-even snap split with Charbonnet in 2025. The pair also saw similar workloads; Walker averaged 13 carries and 14.8 touches per game, while Charbonnet averaged 11.5 and 12.8, respectively.
Price is seen as an excellent fit for new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s outside zone game, which was a staple at Notre Dame. Seahawks general manager John Schneider has praised his new draft pick’s athleticism and vision, two key traits for such a system.
Price is not yet a do-it-all back, though, so the Seahawks plan to spread Charbonnet’s responsibilities across the backfield. They signed former Packer Emanuel Wilson in free agency, likely to install the 226-pounder in Charbonnet’s power back role. 2024 UDFA George Holani saw increased pass protection responsibilities after Charbonnet went down in the playoffs and could earn a third down role for the 2026 season.
A timeshare is nothing new for Price, who played behind Cardinals No. 3 pick Jeremiyah Love for his entire time in South Bend. He still managed an efficient 6.1 yards per carry over the last two years, though he did not consistently contribute in the passing game. That is one way he can expand his skillset – and therefore his role – in Seattle in the long-term. In the immediate future, he could add some explosiveness to the Seahawks’ return game, though the team is already well-covered in that regard with Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton already on the roster.
Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon To Sign Extension Before Training Camp?
We heard in March that the Seahawks would likely extend wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon this offseason. Seattle has already finalized a deal with JSN, leaving Witherspoon’s second contract as an outstanding item at or near the top of the agenda.
Albert Breer of SI.com predicts the Seahawks and Witherspoon will come to terms at some point before the start of training camp. However, there are some market developments the two sides will need to navigate before they get to that point.
As Breer observes, there are now seven non-quarterbacks on contracts featuring average annual values of at least $40MM, whereas there were no such deals before March 9 of last year, when Myles Garrett signed an extension with the Browns. Pass rushers and wideouts are leading the way at the top of the non-QB market, while cornerback and offensive tackle are premium positions that have fallen behind.
As of the time of this writing, Trent McDuffie’s newly-minted $31MM/year pact with the Rams resides at the top of the CB hierarchy. Although Witherspoon surely understands he is not going to approach Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. ’s $50MM/year accord, Breer suspects the Seattle star will nonetheless insist on a number that gets him much closer to Anderson than cornerback peers McDuffie, Sauce Gardner ($30.1MM/year), and Derek Stingley Jr. ($30MM/year) are.
Witherspoon established himself as a top-shelf defender as a rookie in 2023, starting 13 of 14 games and logging 16 passes defensed, a 97-yard pick six, and three sacks en route to the first of three straight Pro Bowl campaigns. Starting all 17 games in 2024, Pro Football Focus’ 16th-best cornerback that season finished second on the Seahawks with 98 total tackles, adding a sack, six tackles for loss, and nine passes defensed. Five missed games near the start of the 2025 slate led to a decreased stat total, but Witherspoon’s excellence when he got back on the field was apparent, as he earned second-team All-Pro honors and graded out as PFF’s best cornerback.
Interestingly, fellow 2023 first-rounder and Patriots CB1 Christian Gonzalez has the same representation as Witherspoon. Breer suggests that could set up a game of contract chicken in which one team knows that if they extend their top cornerback first, that will become the baseline for the other player.
Seattle has already made the easy decision to exercise Witherspoon’s fifth-year option, thereby locking the Illinois product into a fully-guaranteed $21.16MM salary for 2027. The club still hopes to have a new deal in place long before then.
Each NFL Franchise’s Richest RB Contract
Running back value has become a divisive topic in the modern NFL, and teams’ histories with these investments reveal a large gap in their respective approaches to RB contracts. Following our installments covering the highest-paid quarterback, wide receiver and off-ball linebacker in each team’s history, here are the most lucrative deals — ranked by guaranteed money — for running backs in each franchise’s history (the list excludes rookie contracts).
Unlike the QB and WR markets, some teams’ top RB deals occurred decades ago. This list covers contracts agreed to across four different decades.
Arizona Cardinals
- James Conner; March 14, 2022: Three years, $21MM ($13.5MM guaranteed)
Jeremiyah Love‘s rookie contract brings the highest guarantee ($53MM) in RB history, but for veteran accords, Conner’s second Arizona pact is the organizational standard
Atlanta Falcons
- Devonta Freeman; August 9, 2017: Five years, $41.25MM ($22.1MM guaranteed)
Baltimore Ravens
- Derrick Henry; May 19, 2025: Two years, $30MM ($25MM guaranteed)
Buffalo Bills
- James Cook; August 13, 2025: Four years, $46MM ($28.82MM guaranteed)
LeSean McCoy‘s March 2015 extension included more guaranteed at signing ($18.25MM), but Cook’s brought a rolling guarantee structure that eclipsed that package in total
Carolina Panthers
- Christian McCaffrey; April 13, 2020: Four years, $64.1MM ($38.16MM guaranteed)
Chicago Bears
- Matt Forte; July 16, 2012: Four years, $30.4MM ($17.1MM guaranteed)
D’Andre Swift‘s 2024 agreement included more guaranteed at signing ($14MM), but Forte’s guarantee package remains the Chicago standard
Cincinnati Bengals
- Corey Dillon; May 11, 2001: Five years, $26MM ($10.5MM guaranteed)
The Bengals more than doubled Dillon’s AAV number in 2020 for Joe Mixon (four years, $48MM) but only guaranteed $10MM of that pact
Cleveland Browns
- Nick Chubb; July 31, 2021: Three years, $36.6MM ($20MM guaranteed)
Dallas Cowboys
- Ezekiel Elliott; September 4, 2019: Six years, $90MM ($50.1MM guaranteed)
Denver Broncos
- Melvin Gordon; March 20, 2020: Two years, $16MM ($13.5MM guaranteed)
Detroit Lions
- Barry Sanders; July 21, 1997: Six years, $33.5MM ($11.5MM guaranteed)
David Montgomery‘s two Lions deals topped the Hall of Famer in AAV, but neither surpassed $11MM guaranteed; Jahmyr Gibbs is tied to the highest RB guarantee in franchise history ($17.85MM) but got there via a rookie deal
Green Bay Packers
- Aaron Jones; March 14, 2021: Four years, $48MM ($13MM guaranteed)
Josh Jacobs‘ 2024 pact edges Jones in AAV but fell short of his predecessor’s deal in guarantees
Houston Texans
- Arian Foster; March 5, 2012: Five years, $43.5MM ($20.75MM guaranteed)
Indianapolis Colts
- Jonathan Taylor; October 7, 2023: Three years, $42MM ($26.5MM guaranteed)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Maurice Jones-Drew; April 15, 2009: Five years, $31.1MM ($14.25MM guaranteed)
Leonard Fournette received a $27.15MM guarantee — still in the top 10 in RB history — but it came on a rookie contract
Kansas City Chiefs
- Kenneth Walker; March 9, 2026: Three years, $43.1MM ($28.7MM guaranteed)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Josh Jacobs; August 26, 2023: One year, $11.79MM franchise tag ($10.1MM guaranteed)
Raiders sweetened Jacobs’ franchise tag agreement; Ashton Jeanty‘s 2025 rookie slot deal included $35.9MM guaranteed
Los Angeles Chargers
- LaDainian Tomlinson; August 15, 2004: Six years, $48MM ($21MM guaranteed)
Los Angeles Rams
- Todd Gurley; July 24, 2018: Four years, $57.5MM ($45MM guaranteed)
Miami Dolphins
- De’Von Achane; May 13, 2026: Four years, $64MM ($27.38MM guaranteed)
Minnesota Vikings
- Adrian Peterson; September 10, 2011: Six years, $86.28MM ($36MM guaranteed)
New England Patriots
- Rhamondre Stevenson; June 20, 2024: Four years, $36MM ($17.12MM guaranteed)
New Orleans Saints
- Alvin Kamara; September 12, 2020: Five years, $75MM ($33.83MM guaranteed)
New York Giants
- Saquon Barkley; March 7, 2023: One year, $10.1MM franchise tag ($10.1MM guaranteed)
Barkley’s rookie slot deal included $31.19MM guaranteed — fourth all time among all RB contracts — while Devin Singletary‘s $9.5MM represents the franchise’s high-water mark on a multiyear deal
New York Jets
- Breece Hall; May 8, 2026: Three years, $43.5MM ($29MM guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Saquon Barkley; March 4, 2025: Two years, $41.2MM ($36MM guaranteed)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Le’Veon Bell; February 27, 2017: One year, $12.12MM franchise tag ($12.12MM guaranteed)
Bell’s second franchise tag (2018) covered $14.54MM, but the RB became the first tagged player this century to skip a season; Jaylen Warren‘s 2025 extension brought the highest Steelers RB guarantee ($7.1MM) on a multiyear deal
San Francisco 49ers
- Christian McCaffrey; June 4, 2024: Two years, $38MM ($24MM guaranteed)
Seattle Seahawks
- Marshawn Lynch; March 4, 2012: Four years, $30MM ($17MM guaranteed)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Doug Martin; March 9, 2016: Five years, $35.75MM ($15MM guaranteed)
Tennessee Titans
- Derrick Henry; July 15, 2020: Four years, $50MM ($25.5MM guaranteed)
Washington Commanders
- Clinton Portis; March 1, 2004: Eight years, $50.52MM ($13MM guaranteed)
Information from OverTheCap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/26
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Stephen Dix Jr.
Green Bay Packers
- Waived/failed physical: TE Luke Lachey
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Mante’ Morrow
- Waived: LS Peter Bowden
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Terrill Davis
- Waived: OLB Jordan Botelho
New York Giants
- Signed: OLB Khalid Kareem
- Placed on IR: CB Thaddeus Dixon
New York Jets
- Waived: K Will Ferrin
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Rashad Rochelle, WR Trayvon Rudolph
- Waived: OLB Devean Deal
- Waived/failure to disclose physical condition: WR Michael Briscoe
Dixon suffered an Achilles tear during a Wednesday workout with the Giants, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Dixon was part of New York’s six-man UDFA class, joining the team after a college tenure at North Carolina. Ranked by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler as a top-200 prospect in this year’s class, Dixon will likely miss the season. A return after an injury settlement would be the only way Dixon could play for the Giants this season.
The Jets included Ferrin among their 12-man priority free agent class, but he will not make it far into the offseason with the team. New York still rosters kickers Cade York and Lenny Krieg.
Seahawks Agree To Terms With Round 2 S Bud Clark
Last year saw dramatic increases in guarantees for Day 2 draft picks, with eight second-rounders receiving fully guaranteed contracts for the first time. The trend is continuing in 2026.
Seahawks second-round pick (No. 64 overall) Bud Clark has agreed to his rookie contract, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, which will pay him $7.88MM over the next four years.
The rookie pay scale is set by the league, but draftees are empowered to negotiate payment schedules and guarantees. Clark will receive $5.47MM in guarantees, comprised of a $2.2MM signing bonus, his 2026 and 2027 salaries, and $1.15MM of his 2028 salary.
Clark’s guarantees represent 69.4% of his total deal, a substantial increase from last year’s No. 64 pick, Andrew Mukuba. $4.2MM of his $7.16MM deal (58.6%) with the Eagles came guaranteed (via OverTheCap), which included $343K in his third year, a first for his draft slot. For additional context, the No. 64 pick in 2024, Renardo Green, signed a rookie contract with 52.4% guaranteed with none in Year 3.
This signing continues a trend of eight-pick jumps in guarantee increases. Tyler Shough, the No. 40 pick in 2025, received a fully guaranteed contract, putting him on par with the No. 32 pick in 2024. The second-rounders behind him then sought similar bumps commensurate to the players selected eight picks earlier the year prior, as reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Accordingly, Clark’s percentage of guaranteed money lands between that of the 56th and 57th overall picks in 2025.
First-rounder Jadarian Price is now the only Seahawks draft pick who has yet to sign his rookie deal. He will receive a fully guaranteed contract, so he will be looking for improvements elsewhere in the deal. He will become the first player at his draft slot to receive over 50% of his rookie deal as a signing bonus, and he may also seek a more advantageous pay schedule via roster bonuses. The exact amount of Price’s increases will depend on the 11 unsigned picks ahead of him.
Former All-Pro TE Charle Young Passes Away
Former Pro Bowl tight end Charle Young, who played for four NFL teams over a 13-year career, passed away. He was 75. The 49ers revealed they were informed of Young’s death by his wife, according to the Associated Press; no cause of death has been provided.
Spending his career with the Eagles, Rams, 49ers and Seahawks, Young was selected to three Pro Bowls; a hot start to his career in Philadelphia brought those invites, and the former top-10 pick became a long-term NFL starter who enjoyed a memorable second act.
The Eagles used the No. 6 overall pick on Young in 1973, acquiring the selection from the Chargers in a trade for linebacker Tim Rossovich. Philly deployed Young, a USC product, as an immediate starter. Even with the mid-1970s known as a low-octane passing era, Young shined as a receiving tight end.
He earned first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie, helping trade acquisition Roman Gabriel to his final Pro Bowl nod. The Gabriel-Young connection hooked up for six touchdowns, Young’s career-high mark, as the 6-foot-4 target amassed a career-best 854 receiving yards. Gabriel, acquired from the Rams, led the NFL with 23 TD passes that season.
Young then strung together 696- and 653-yard seasons in 1974 and ’75, earning second-team All-Pro acclaim each year, but the Eagles struggled during a down period in their franchise history. Gabriel did not sustain the momentum his 1973 season brought, and the Eagles lacked a quarterback answer. In 1977, they used Young to land one. In Dick Vermeil‘s second offseason in charge, the Eagles traded Young to the Rams for Ron Jaworski. That turned out to be a trade that benefited Philly more than L.A., as Jaworski — mostly a backup with the Rams early in his career — was the NFC East team’s starter for nearly a decade.
The Rams did not see much from Young, who totaled just 35 receiving yards in 14 games during his first Los Angeles season. Young only started three games in three Rams seasons, but an intra-NFC West trade allowed for a resurgence. The Rams traded Young to the 49ers in 1980, receiving two third-round picks in a pick-swap deal that saw L.A. third- and fourth-round choices go to San Francisco. This trade came as Bill Walsh, in Year 2 at the helm in San Francisco, was crafting a seminal turnaround.
In Young’s second 49ers campaign, he totaled 400 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The 49ers deployed the veteran as a 16-game starter as they zoomed to a surprising 13-3 season in Joe Montana‘s first year as a full-time starter. Young then caught Montana’s first playoff touchdown pass, during a divisional-round win over the Giants, and added four receptions for 45 yards in the 49ers’ storied NFC championship game win over the Cowboys before collecting a Super Bowl ring.
The 49ers, however, sent first- and fourth-round picks to the Patriots for retired TE Russ Francis‘ rights in 1982. This preceded a 1983 Young release, but he landed a prominent role with the Seahawks soon after. Chuck Knox, Young’s coach during his first Rams season, was at the controls in Seattle when the Seahawks signed Young. The July addition made a difference in Seattle’s first playoff season, catching 36 passes for 529 yards and two scores. The Seahawks voyaged to the AFC championship game that season. Young finished his career after two more Seahawks slates, continuing to work as a regular starter.
Young finished his career with 142 career starts — that remains 30th among TEs in NFL history — to go with 418 catches and 5,106 receiving yards. Among pure tight ends at the time of Young’s retirement, those totals ranked seventh and 11th in NFL annals.
NFC Notes: Giants, OBJ, Bates, Seahawks
Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton recently underwent core-muscle surgery, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The procedure should not affect Slayton’s availability for training camp, per Garafolo. It will also have no impact on a potential reunion with free agent wideout Odell Beckham, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post relays. The Giants hosted Beckham in late April, and while they have left the door open on a deal, they have not made an offer to the 33-year-old. Beckham did not play anywhere in 2025. Meanwhile, Slayton caught 37 passes for 538 yards and a touchdown in 14 games. He will be part of a more crowded receiving corps in 2026. The Giants will get No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers back from a torn ACL, and Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin and third-rounder Malachi Fields are among their new additions.
More from the NFC…
- Now entering the last season of a four-year, $64.02MM contract, Falcons safety Jessie Bates is due to earn a $16MM salary – the eighth-highest total at the position. The three-time second-team All-Pro is a good bet to stick around Atlanta in 2027, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, though he notes it is likely the team will begin extension negotiations at a lower salary figure. While Bates managed his third straight full season last year and once again posted solid production (98 tackles, three interceptions), age is working against him as he seeks his next deal. By the time the 2027 season kicks off, Bates will be 30 years old. In the meantime, he will pair with Falcons safety Xavier Watts for the second year in a row. Those two accounted for defensive snap shares around 99% in 2025, an impressive rookie season for Watts.
- No cornerback taller than 6-foot-4 has ever played a regular-season NFL game. That will change if Seahawks cornerback Tyrone Broden earns a roster spot. The 6-5 Broden joined the Seahawks as an undrafted receiver last year, but he is now transitioning to the defensive side of the ball, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Broden spent some of last season on the Seahawks’ practice squad and did not get into any games. The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks boast a loaded defensive backfield, which works against Broden, but they lost 6-4 corner Riq Woolen to the Eagles in free agency.
- In another position switch, the Buccaneers’ Nash Hutmacher is shifting from defensive tackle to guard, Greg Auman of FOX Sports reports. Undrafted a year ago, the former Nebraska D-tackle spent the season on the Bucs’ practice squad.
- In using a a seventh-round pick on former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, the Chiefs took a potential option away from the Packers. Green Bay would have had interest in Nussmeier had he gone undrafted, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN relays. The Packers pivoted to former Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones on the UDFA market. Drones, Tyrod Taylor and Kyle McCord are their backup options behind starter Jordan Love. Like Drones, Taylor is a Virginia Tech product. The 36-year-old has carved out a long career as an occasional starter/dependable backup since the Ravens selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft.
‘Soft’ Market For Seahawks Sale
The Seahawks appear to be one of the best-positioned teams in the NFL.
They have a young, proven head coach in Mike Macdonald, an apparent franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold, one of the league’s best wide receivers in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and a deep, diverse well of talent on defense.
Despite that, the pending sale of the club has a weaker-than-expected market, per ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, with one NFL owner describing it as “soft.” Wickersham adds that there is less interest in the Seahawks than there was in the Broncos and the Commanders, the last two franchises to change hands.
The Walton-Penner family paid $4.65 billion for the Broncos in 2022, and a Josh Harris-led group purchased the Commanders for $6.05 billion in 2023. A commensurate increase three years later would price the Seahawks at $10.25 billion.
The team’s price tag was initially expected to match or exceed that number, but projections have since dropped closer to $9 billion. That would still be the highest sale price of an NFL team, though it falls substantially below the Dolphins’ recent $12.5 billion valuation.
There are a limited number of potential buyers with known interest in the team with tech billionaires Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tim Cook already ruled out. Wyc Grousbeck and Vinod Khosla are leading ownership groups preparing for bids, and Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos has also been mentioned, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Apostolopoulos was interested in purchasing the Commanders in 2023, though he told Wickersham that he is “not pursuing the Seahawks.” If there are only two ownership groups vying for the Seahawks, that will limit the potential for a bidding war that could push the sale price into eight digits.
The lack of interest is multifaceted. The number of individuals with enough wealth to lead an ownership group is already small, and league rules mandate a 30% down payment – ranging from $2.7 to upwards of $3 billion – from the new majority owner.
The circumstances of the sale give potential buyers “significant leverage,” Wickersham adds. Longtime Seahawks owner Paul Allen passed away in 2018, leaving behind instructions for the team to be sold with the proceeds donated to charity. His sister, Jody Allen, has initiated that process after eight years. Selling to fulfill a mandate rather than by choice will push down the price. Allen’s estate had the same directive for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, who were sold for $4.2 billion in 2025, significantly lower than the sales of the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers in the same year. (The Celtics and the Lakers are substantially more successful franchises with storied histories, but that is still a depreciated price for an asset that is always increasing in value.)
Other local concerns include the potential for an NBA franchise to return to Seattle almost 20 years after the Supersonics departed for Oklahoma City. The city’s MLS team, the Sounders, who share Lumen Field with the Seahawks, are also exploring a new, soccer-specific stadium, according to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle. Potential Seahawks buyers could be more interested in bringing basketball back to Seattle, and hammering out stadium situations for all three teams could get complicated both politically and financially.
Wyc Grousbeck, Vinod Khosla Emerge As Expected Bidders For Seahawks
As the Commanders and Broncos did before them, the Seahawks are expected to produce an American sports-record sale price. The NBA’s Boston Celtics broke the Commanders’ mark last year, going for $6.1 billion. Two parts of that Boston deal have emerged on the Seattle radar.
Wyc Grousbeck, who sold the Celtics last year, is preparing to enter the bidding for the Seahawks, Sportico’s Scott Soshnick reports. A Celtics investor, Aditya Mittal, is expected to join Grousbeck’s ownership group attempting to buy the NFC West franchise. Vinod Khosla, a 49ers investor, is on track to prepare a separate bid, according to Soshnick and Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams.
The Celtics went for $6.1 billion last August. Grousbeck had been the team’s controlling owner from 2002-25. The 64-year-old billionaire, present for the Celtics’ most recent two championships, is looking to follow Josh Harris — who owns the Philadelphia 76ers — in making the NBA-to-NFL jump. Harris still owns the Sixers but bought the Commanders for a then-record-smashing price ($6.05 billion) in 2023.
Mittal was part of the group that bought the Celtics last year, contributing approximately $1 billion to that effort. Mittal is a London resident, according to Soshnick, who would only live in Seattle part-time if he and Grousbeck’s bid ends up winning. Mittal, 50, was part of a group that purchased an Indian cricket franchise this week for approximately $1.65 billion. Khosla, 71, was part of a group that purchased a 49ers stake — north of $8.5 billion — in 2025.
Sportico values the Seahawks at $6.59 billion, which ranks 14th among the site’s NFL valuations. The price to buy the franchise from Jody Allen, sister of the late Paul Allen, may check in a bit higher. A $7 billion price tag is viewed as the floor, though some pushback emerged on an earlier report that pegged the potential number at around $10 billion. Jody Allen officially put the Seahawks on the market after Super Bowl LX.
More bidders emerging would naturally drive up the price. These two groups are the first known entrants into the derby. A recent report indicating Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and former Apple CEO Tim Cook has been debunked. Los Angeles Clippers owner/Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was mentioned as a prospective Seahawks suitor. Ballmer, who owns property in the Seattle area, entering the fray would obviously add intrigue to this pursuit. But some key players have emerged since his name surfaced as a possibility here. More may soon follow in the NFL’s third sale this decade.