Seahawks notebook: Devon Witherspoon's extension talks heat up after Super Bowl LX run
Seattle's first-round corner is eligible for a long-term deal for the first time. The numbers being floated would make him the highest-paid CB in football.
Devon Witherspoon enters the fourth year of his rookie contract as the Super Bowl LX champion who made his second Pro Bowl in three seasons. The Seahawks picked up his fifth-year option earlier this month and are now negotiating a long-term extension that ESPN reports could top Derek Stingley Jr.'s $30 million-per-year contract.
Where do talks stand?
Seattle picked up Witherspoon's fifth-year option for 2027 at $19.9 million on May 1. Extension talks formally began the week after the Super Bowl in February but have accelerated in the past two weeks. ESPN's Brady Henderson reported Friday that the two sides are 'in active discussions' and that both want a deal done before training camp opens in late July.
What would the deal look like?
Industry expectation centers on a four-year extension layered over the fifth-year option, making the total 5 new years at $35 million average per year ($175 million total). That would push him past Stingley's $30 million average and reset the cornerback market. Guarantee structure is the open negotiation; the Seahawks typically prefer three-year guarantees while Witherspoon's camp will push for four.
Why is the price that high?
Production. Witherspoon's 2025 season produced 78 tackles, 2 INTs, 14 pass breakups, and 4 sacks (he's used as a slot blitzer more than any starting CB in football). His PFF coverage grade ranked third among all corners. He also won Super Bowl LX with a 3-pass-breakup performance against New England. Versatility (outside, slot, blitzer) compounds the value because Seattle uses him the way some teams use safeties.
Who else is in the QB-equivalent CB market?
Stingley signed for $30 million per in 2024. Sauce Gardner is up for an extension in 2026 with the Colts and could push past Stingley. Patrick Surtain II's $24M deal will look outdated quickly. Witherspoon's deal will likely set the new bar for the next wave: rookie extensions for Christian Gonzalez (Patriots), Joey Porter Jr. (Steelers), and Riq Woolen (now Eagles).
What's the risk for both sides?
Seattle's risk is locking in $175M to a corner; the position has historical injury and decline curves that don't always reward long deals. Witherspoon's risk is delay. The longer talks drag into camp, the higher the chance of a holdout or holdin scenario that creates friction. Both sides have indicated they want a deal done. The market timing favors getting it announced before Gardner's extension reframes the comp set.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Seahawks notebook: Latest on Devon Witherspoon's extension
- Sports Illustrated: Witherspoon's price after Super Bowl LX
- Field Gulls: Witherspoon extension primer
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