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Stacy: Why Witherspoon deal could be trickier for Seahawks

When the Seattle Seahawks exercised the fifth-year options on the rookie contracts for both Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon last Friday, fans knew what would come next. Spending that much money on two former first-round picks would be a tough pill to swallow, but tougher still would be trying to return to a Super Bowl without them.

The challenge Seahawks now face after huge JSN extension

So, for now, Seattle would need to accept a new salary cap reality (such is life as the general manager of a championship team).

The Seahawks inked Smith-Njigba to a four-year, $168.6 million extension on Monday, ironing out the larger of the two contracts. Now comes the second – but while it’ll be cheaper, it could be trickier.

Here’s what you need to know about a Witherspoon extension.

What are the top cornerback salaries?

The current leader is Trent McDuffie, who signed a four-year, $124 million extension ($31 million in average annual value) with the Los Angeles Rams two weeks ago after they acquired him in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. Just behind him is the Indianapolis Colts’ Sauce Gardner, whose four-year, $120.4 million extension signed last summer set a then-NFL record, just surpassing Derek Stingley Jr.’s $30 million per year with the Houston Texans.

So, he’ll get $31 million per year?

Maybe? You could make the argument that Witherspoon is the best corner in the league, though that’s a bit more subjective than Smith-Njigba’s commanding 1,793-yard season.

If you’re looking at only basic stats, Witherspoon’s are comparable to McDuffie’s. Consider that Witherspoon was a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro last season, which neither Gardner nor McDuffie were in the season they signed their deals. And over the last three seasons, Witherspoon is the only of the three with an interception return touchdown in the regular season, the only with a Pro Bowl nod in each season, and has as many sacks as McDuffie (4.5). You can’t knock him for lacking in interceptions when he has two to Gardner’s one, and McDuffie has three.

Spotrac isn’t giving Witherspoon the nod here, though. It projects his market value at $27.4 million per year with a three-year, $82.2 million deal.

How soon do they need to do it?

Technically, with that fifth-year option, Witherspoon is under contract through 2027. But the goal is a long-term deal, and the price goes up the longer Seattle waits.

What else should I know?

Two things: Witherspoon’s own history with negotiations, and the current cornerback landscape.

First, Witherspoon has been nothing if not a stellar teammate, but there was a steadfastness to his first negotiations with the Seahawks, as he was the final unsigned player of the 2023 draft class and missed the start of training camp.

Second, another top corner – New England’s Christian Gonzalez – will be eyeing an extension as well. Gonzalez and Witherspoon also share an agent (Reginald Johnson with CAA Football). The Patriots haven’t yet exercised Gonzalez’s fifth-year option, but Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said a contract is “certainly something we’re preparing for.”