The Seattle Seahawks and cornerback Devon Witherspoon have finalized a contract extension worth four years and $132 million, which includes $101 million guaranteed. The deal carries an average annual value of $33 million per year, establishing a new market standard for the cornerback position and surpassing the $31.1 million average secured by Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns earlier this month.
Witherspoon, selected fifth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft from Illinois, has established himself as one of the league’s elite defensive backs. He achieved Pro Bowl status in each of his first three seasons, joining a selective group that includes Charles Woodson and Patrick Peterson as the only defensive backs in the past 40 years to accomplish this feat. During the most recent season, he compiled 72 tackles, half a sack, seven passes defensed and one interception as Seattle won Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks’ defense ranked first in scoring defense and sixth in total defense last season.
The contract extension resolves a key priority for Seattle’s offseason roster construction. The team simultaneously prioritized extensions for other standout players, including wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who signed a four-year, $168.6 million deal making him the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, and cornerback Josh Jobe, who agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract. Additionally, the team re-signed trade-deadline acquisition Rashid Shaheed to a three-year, $51 million agreement.
Witherspoon’s agreement now shifts attention to New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has been negotiating with the organization for a deal that would reset the position’s market. Patriots owner Robert Kraft stated approximately one month ago that the team had extended an offer to Gonzalez that would make him the highest-paid player at the position. Gonzalez has not participated in recent practice sessions due to an injury sustained during Monday’s practice, complicating ongoing negotiations.
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