The only thing that's tougher than winning a Super Bowl is keeping the team intact and doing so again in the following season. That's a price all teams are gladly willing to pay, and Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider will have to pay it again in 2026.
According to Over The Cap, the Seahawks have $58 million in available cap space, the sixth-most in the league. That said, some of their budding stars were on rookie deals, and they won't be able to keep everybody in town, even if they want to.
As such, Coby Bryant might've played his last snap with the organization. The 26-year-old turned the corner after struggling as a nickel corner earlier in his career, and he's about to cash in on a significant raise.
The Seattle Seahawks may not want to meet Coby Bryant's asking price
According to Spotrac, Bryant will sign a two-year deal in the $28.8 million range. He'll go from making $4.46 million in his entire rookie deal to an average annual value of $14.4 million. Technically, the Seahawks can afford to match that number, but with fellow defensive back Josh Jobe also testing free agency, they will have to make a choice.
Also, they have a budding star at safety in Nick Emmanwori. He's on a rookie deal, but barring a shocking turn of events, he's also going to get a huge payday at some point, and not many teams spend big bucks in their safeties room.
Bryant has broken out under Mike Macdonal's tutelage. He's been much more aggressive against the run lately, logging 14 stops and posting a 70.3 Pro Football Focus (subscription required) run defense grade in 332 run defense snaps. While that's average (52nd of 98 eligible players), it's a significant improvement over his earlier days in the league.
He was third in interceptions in the league (4) and logged seven pass breakups, four tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. Also, opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 78.4 when going against him last season.
That said, $14 million is just too rich. Only 11 safeties are making at least that type of money right now, and while Bryant is clearly a rising star and a versatile contributor against the run and the pass, this team has multiple priorities to address.
The Seahawks might still figure out a way to keep both him and Jobe in free agency, but it doesn't seem feasible right now. And with guys like Boye Mafe and Rashid Shaheed also potentially leaving, there may not be enough money to hand over.