Seahawks, Wilson reach 4-year extension worth reported $140M
Russell Wilson isn't going anywhere.
After waiting until the 11th hour of negotiations ahead of his self-imposed deadline to sign a new long-term deal, the star quarterback and the Seattle Seahawks agreed on a four-year contract extension.
It's worth $140 million and includes a $65-million signing bonus, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports, citing a source.
The long-awaited megadeal, which sees Wilson surpass Aaron Rodgers as the NFL's highest-paid player at a new-money average of $35 million per season, keeps him under contract through the 2023 season. When added to his scheduled 2019 base salary of $17 million, the payday puts Wilson in line to earn $157 million over the next five years, including $107 million in total guarantees, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Wilson's contract, which was agreed upon after weeks of rumors about his future in Seattle, also reportedly includes a no-trade clause.
The April 15 deadline, Wilson's reported unwillingness to negotiate beyond that date, and rumblings that the Seahawks suspected he actually wanted to play elsewhere all contributed to speculation about another team - namely the quarterback-needy New York Giants - potentially swooping in for a trade leading up to this year's draft.
Instead, Seattle can now continue to build around one of the game's premier signal-callers.
A third-round pick in the 2012 draft, Wilson has started every game for the Seahawks over the last seven seasons. He's qualified for the postseason in all but one year and led Seattle to its first-ever Super Bowl title after the 2013 campaign.
The five-time Pro Bowler is still just 30 years old, and if his 2018 season is any indication, the Seahawks are locking up a quarterback who may just be entering his prime as a passer. While leading Seattle to a 10-6 record and a surprise playoff berth after the deconstruction of its once-vaunted defense, Wilson completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 3,448 yards, a career-high 35 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.
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