The Seahawks and linebacker Drake Thomas have agreed to a new two-year contract, a source confirmed to The Seattle Times.
The NFL Network reported that the deal is worth a base of $8 million with a chance for Thomas to earn as much as $9 million.
Thomas, who just completed his third season in the NFL, was a restricted free agent and could have become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) next Wednesday if Seattle either did not tender him or sign him to a new deal by then.
Now, the Seahawks will keep in the fold a player who became one of many pleasant surprises on their way to the Super Bowl this year, as Thomas emerged as the starting weakside linebacker early in the year and finished second on the team in tackles in both the regular season (89) and the post-season (17).
Thomas becomes the first of Seattle’s seven restricted free agents to reach a deal. Seattle also has nine players who are set to become unrestricted free agents next Wednesday. The other six current RFAs will join them as UFAS on Wednesday if not tendered or re-signed by then.
This story will be updated.
Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Bob Condotta is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times who primarily covers the Seahawks but also dabbles in other sports. He has worked at The Times since 2002, reporting on University of Washington Husky football and basketball for his first 10 years at the paper before switching to the Seahawks in 2013.