Tag Archives: Devon Witherspoon

Contracts

Big Cat extension would keep defense elite for longer

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AI conversion of photo by Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images

The Seahawks have spent the first week of training camp improving the team that won the Super Bowl (and is being ignorantly underrated in many corners of the NFL universe this summer).

Training camp is the on-field business, with direct impact on the 2026 season. But there is off-field business being done as well, affecting the future of the franchise.

While Devon Witherspoon’s agency supposedly is still negotiating with the Seahawks, Leonard Williams revealed that his agent also has been talking to the team about a new deal – and then word came that the deal is expected to be done before the start of the season. That’s the news we wanted to hear.

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Contracts

NFL position surveys show value of Williams, Darnold ahead of possible extensions

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When the Khosla family takes over the Seahawks ahead of this season, the new owners figure to step into a flurry of big contract extensions.

Devon Witherspoon is expected to be the next one, coming in as one of the two highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL before the season begins (ideally even before the Khoslas take ownership). John Schneider also might be working on another big-money extension – for Leonard Williams. And next year it will be Sam Darnold’s turn.

ESPN’s ongoing series of positional top-10 rankings might be informative for the value of new deals for Williams and Darnold.

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Contracts

NFL folks rank Spoon No. 4 among corners as he seeks top dollar

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A new ESPN survey of dozens of NFL coaches and execs puts Devon Witherspoon fourth among all current cornerbacks in the league.

Some oddly think this survey will make it tougher for the Seahawks to extend Witherspoon before the season, but let’s be clear: John Schneider and lead contract guy Joey Laine already are prepared to pay top dollar for Mike Macdonald’s favorite defender. They know he is a top-five corner, and there is no reason to think this survey changes anything in regard to contract talks.

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Contracts

$45M in savings; Spoon deal & more business

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Dante Fowler Jr.’s signing for up to $5 million is a heck of a bargain swap for a guy who is at least an even trade for $20 million free-agent loss Boye Mafe.

Fowler’s arrival means all four key free agents who left – Mafe, Kenneth Walker III, Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen – have been replaced by cheaper players who are (or should be) equal to or better than the four who left.

The total APY for the departing four is close to $60 million, while the replacements – Fowler, Jadarian Price, Bud Clark and the corner combo of Julian Neal and Noah Igbinoghene — combine for less than $15 million. That is some great budgeting by John Schneider and cap guy Joey Laine.

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Free agency, The roster

Fowler (maybe) completes roster; now how good is it?

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The signing of Dante Fowler Jr. does a couple of things for Seattle: (1) Finishes the replacement of the four key free agents who left and (2) potentially upgrades the pass rush by a bit.

The roster is now largely set – with maybe seven spots up for grabs or rotation — as the Seahawks prepare for another Super Bowl title run in 2026.

The question is: How much better are the Hawks now than they were in their 2025 championship season?

More important: Are they good enough on defense to stop Matthew Stafford’s Rams?

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Contracts

Projecting the massive extensions coming for JSN & Spoon

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The last time the Seahawks did a market-setting deal with one of their superstars was in 2019, when Russell Wilson became the top-paid quarterback with a contract averaging $35 million and paying a record $65 million signing bonus.

Well, it’s that time again. The Hawks picked up fifth-year options for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon on Friday – precursors to deals that should make them the highest-paid players at their positions.

The salary cap has jumped 60% since Wilson did his big deal, and the top receivers are now paid more than what he got while corners are over $30 million a year.

JSN – coming off a historic season (119 catches for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns) that merited the Offensive Player of the Year award — is expected to trump Ja’Marr Chase’s league-best $40.25 million average. Witherspoon figures to average a cornerback-best $32 million a year.

But there is a lot more to these kinds of deals, from the guarantees to the length to the structure.

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Contracts, NFL Combine

Hawks seem ready to replace Woolen, Bryant and Walker

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While John Schneider is staying pretty tight-lipped, as usual, about the Seahawks’ personnel plans, we have heard enough scuttlebutt from the Combine to have a pretty decent idea what is going to happen over the next couple of weeks.

For one, the draft lines up very well where the Seahawks might need to replace some guys – and the Hawks have been meeting with a bunch of prospects who could fit.

Two, we now have a very good idea where Schneider and the team stand on Kenneth Walker III – it is basically what we expected.

Three, we know a bit more about how and why the Hawks probably are going to handle extensions for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon.

Let’s break it all down, using intel offered up by ESPN’s Brady Henderson and others.

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Super Bowl LX, The roster

Back-to-back? Defense that dominated Pats will return in 2026

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In his first team meeting in 2024, Mike Macdonald predicted the Seahawks would be in the NFC Championship Game.

“It’s inevitable,” he told his first group of Seahawks, which included many of the guys who beat the Rams in the NFC title game a couple weeks ago.

Macdonald did not predict a Super Bowl win, but he and his team delivered that Sunday, beating the Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. Afterward, he said he had “100% confidence” that his team would win. That’s certainly how it felt to us (we had predicted a 31-13 win).

Macdonald brought a vision to Seattle, and – along with some great help from John Schneider — he has made it come to life by creating the best defense in the NFL. It is a unit that is poised to dominate in 2026 — and probably beyond.

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Super Bowl LX

Hawks 29, Patriots 13: Super Bowl LX highlights

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The Seahawks dominated the Patriots 29-13 in Super LX. Here are all the highlights:

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#LARvsSEA, Playoffs

Reaction, stats, highlights from Seattle’s NFC title win vs. the Rams

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The Seahawks are back in the Super Bowl after a rousing 31-27 win over the Rams in the NFC title game.

With his defense struggling to contain the Rams for much of the game, Sam Darnold led Seattle with 346 passing yards, three touchdowns (all under pressure) and no interceptions. It was a spectacular performance that silenced any remaining Darnold doubters.

The analysis of the game is still ongoing two days later, and we finally have time to post the CHawk Talk — what everyone is saying about Seattle’s big win.

Here are some of the many highlights from NFL Twitter.

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