When it comes to securing a record-breaking contract extension, Russell Wilson is hoping a deadline will spur action.
Wilson has made it clear to the Seattle Seahawks that he wants a new deal by April 15, when Seattle begins its offseason program, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday. The Seattle Times first reported the news.
Entering the final year of a four-year extension signed in 2015, Wilson is the next franchise quarterback in line for a mega-extension and the right to be labeled the highest-paid player in NFL history.
The honor is currently held by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who inked a four-year, $134 million extension in August 2018, at a league-best AAV of $33.5 million per year. The 30-year-old Wilson is slated to make $17 million and carry a $25.3 million cap hit in 2019.
Wilson said two weeks ago that there was “great potential” that he could become the league’s top-paid QB this offseason.
Whether Seattle can get this deal done in the next two weeks remains to be seen. The Times’ Bob Condotta reported that both sides have engaged in negotiations recently.
And while Wilson reportedly wants the deal done by mid-April, it’s not clear what would happen if the deadline passes with no new contract. A veteran QB with a Super Bowl title to his name, Wilson doesn’t need to show up to any offseason program and could withhold his services through the summer if he so chooses.
The two sides could also agree to put off a deal until during or after the 2019 season. Wilson said in January that he would play in 2019 without a new deal “if that’s what I’ve got to do” and doesn’t envision himself leaving Seattle. Another scenario sees Seattle place a near-$30 million franchise tag on the QB entering the 2020 season, after which the league’s collective bargaining agreement expires.
Wilson isn’t the only signal-caller due for a pay raise in the near future. Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes are all expected to earn extensions of varying degrees over the next two seasons.
So Seattle is not only racing to meet Wilson’s soft deadline. The Seahawks are also jockeying for position with other organizations negotiating their own QB extensions.