Seahawks Extend Russell Wilson - 4 Year, $87.6M

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Russell Wilson was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round (76 overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. Since then, he has led the Seahawks to a victory in Super Bowl 48 over the Broncos and one yard away from another victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl 49.

Marshawn Lynch and the defense have definitely been contributing factors. On the other hand, Wilson has done this with a below average OL and pedestrian WRs.

Over the last couple of months, there have been several reports stating that the Seahawks and Russell Wilson are "far apart" in negotiations. Apparently, Russell Wilson wants to be the league's highest paid player, which is currently Aaron Rodgers at $22M annually.

Does Russell Wilson deserve to be the highest paid player? Do you anticipate the Seahawks will get a contract extension done? Discuss.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

He wont get that money from Seattle, no fucking chance at all.

He "deserves" to be the highest player far as the fact that he could get that money from someone.

Chances are he ends up settling with Seattle for something slightly more than Cam Newton got from Carolina. Because nothing awesome ever happens.

He shouldn't, though. Any pro athlete is foolish to settle for less than they can get.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Personally I wouldn't consider Russell Wilson the top QB in the league, at times he looks absolutely brilliant, at other times you can't help but think "what the fuck is he doing?" and at times he looks like both at the same time (like the NFC title game against Green Bay).

Even though he has a great team around him there's no denying Wilson has played his part in that success, there's something to be said about a starting QB that in his 1st 3 years was able to get 2 NFC titles and a Superbowl ring (almost 2), that kind of thing doesn't happen to just anybody. He certainly deserves a hefty contract and has the credentials at this point to get it, if he's able to secure that somewhere then it's only smart to do so.

Realistically though I don't see him getting that at Seattle, I don't think he's leaving Seattle either but chances are he isn't going to be making the money he thinks he should be making in Seattle. With some of those defensive juggernauts and Marshawn Lynch the Seahawks are going to need to give raises to more people than Wilson. I have no doubt Seattle will make Wilson a good offer but it won't be what Wilson wants. If I was Seattle I wouldn't pay him over $22 million a year, they can always get a good QB for less and quite frankly it's probably a better route for them to secure their defense and Lynch first before thinking about giving Wilson that kind of deal. Wilson often looks great, but lets not forget it's often that defense that makes him look great. It's much easier to score when you got 40 yards to go instead of 80.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Any pro athlete is foolish to settle for less than they can get.

I know this is late, but it's not all about the money. I think he would want to play in Seattle, which has a very good defense and run game. He could go to a team like the Jaguars or Bucs and struggle because he has no supporting cast.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I know this is late, but it's not all about the money.

Only to an idiot.


A professional athlete has a very small window in which to earn the majority of their life's income. Not to mention their career could end at any given moment, owing to the violence of the game they play. COUNTLESS players are totally nameless because they received a catastrophic injury on a given play. Most of these guys have little to no earning potential outside of sports, because the majority of them have been funneled toward said sport since early in childhood. not to mention, a team can simply cut you at any time, and are not held 100% liable for the contract they signed with you.


Given these factors, once one reaches the pro level, it is extremely foolish to do anything other than get as much garunteed money as you can. Whatever "loyalty" you think you feel to a team and area, I can assure you the organization does not feel the same way towards the athlete. Once they do not feel they are getting a overwhelming return on their investment, they will terminate the relationship......Which they should, since the pros, after all, are a business.

He could go to a team like the Jaguars or Bucs and struggle because he has no supporting cast.

So what? Any professional should only concern themselves with their actual supporting cast, IE their family, and creditors.



The love of the game will not feed you or your family the day after you are done with football.....and that day could be tomorrow.

 

[Thriller Ant]

The love of the game will not feed you or your family the day after you are done with football.....and that day could be tomorrow.

Definitely this. There's a reason you only see hometown discounts given by older players who have already made a lot of money and/or players how haven't won a championship yet.

 

[jmt225]

Given these factors, once one reaches the pro level, it is extremely foolish to do anything other than get as much garunteed money as you can. Whatever "loyalty" you think you feel to a team and area, I can assure you the organization does not feel the same way towards the athlete. Once they do not feel they are getting a overwhelming return on their investment, they will terminate the relationship......Which they should, since the pros, after all, are a business.

There are two big arguments against this (especially when referring to Quarterbacks specifically). The first is that major endorsements come to those on winning teams, which hugely makes up for whatever pay cut a person may take by playing for a SB contender rather than a lower-tier team.

And I think we all agree that Russell Wilson isn't Peyton Manning. He's not someone who can go to a rotten team and all of the sudden make them a championship contender. His style is a perfect fit for Seattle and I think it'd be a big mistake for him to go someplace else. He'll still get over $100 million, while the endorsements will keep rolling in for as long as Seattle keeps making it deep in the playoffs.

Point is, each case is different and your logic makes sense, but for a guy like Wilson to go a lesser team for just a few more dollars isn't worth it. My second argument for this is to just imagine him going to a team with a horrible offensive line only because they offered him a couple of million more than Seattle could afford.... the injury risk neglects that extra few million (especially when we're already in the $100 million department here).

That said, as a Saints fan... fuck it, let Russell go to Jags or Raiders I think there's very, very little chance of that happening though. I'm 99.9% certain he and Seattle will end up working something out.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

. He's not someone who can go to a rotten team and all of the sudden make them a championship contender.

I disagree. Decidedly.


I understand your points, but there is too much ifs, ands, and buts (haha...butts). Wilson is going to get endorsements if he plays upper mid-level because he is good looking and well behaved.

It (and the offensive line point) is rendered irrelevant when discussing garunteed dollars....As an endorsement company can drop you or not use you. Garunteed dollars come no matter what happens.


The bigger point being of course, not everyone is a good looking quarterback. Bobby Wagner or Bruce Irvin for instance, had goddamn well better get every last garunteed dime they can get.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Definitely this. There's a reason you only see hometown discounts given by older players who have already made a lot of money and/or players how haven't won a championship yet.

These guys make millions. Do you really think Russell Wilson will be hurting for money if he only makes $20M rather than $25M?

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

So what? Any professional should only concern themselves with their actual supporting cast, IE their family, and creditors.



The love of the game will not feed you or your family the day after you are done with football.....and that day could be tomorrow.

So what? He won't be near as good and therefore won't make as much money, which would be a travesty since it's clearly all about the money (according to you).

This is football. Injuries happen. You can't live your life in fear. I could die in a car wreck today, but does that mean I won't go anywhere?

 

[Thriller Ant]

These guys make millions. Do you really think Russell Wilson will be hurting for money if he only makes $20M rather than $25M?

He currently makes less than $1 million per season. Yes, he gets endorsement money, but this first contract is the only one he'll definitely be healthy enough to get for sure. Going from 20-25 million doesn't seem like a big deal, but he's got a fiancee and will probably have kids that he wants to make sure are taken care of. Maximize money in this contract, then make decisions for financial/sentimental reasons later.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

He currently makes less than $1 million per season. Yes, he gets endorsement money, but this first contract is the only one he'll definitely be healthy enough to get for sure. Going from 20-25 million doesn't seem like a big deal, but he's got a fiancee and will probably have kids that he wants to make sure are taken care of. Maximize money in this contract, then make decisions for financial/sentimental reasons later.

No, he currently makes $1.5M, not that it really matters. Still, $1M dollars is a lot of money. Maybe not as much as most athletes get paid, but it's still a lot of money to probably 95% of the world. I'm pretty sure his kids will be well taken care of.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

The only way Russell Wilson should see $22M per year is if it's a relatively long-term contract (six years) with no more than 40% of it guaranteed. So, if he gets a six-year, $132M contract, he'd get $52.8M guaranteed, which clocks in at a little under $9M/year (he'd be able to earn the other $13M or so/year by meeting incentives).

When I think of Russell Wilson, I think of him as being on one of the farthest ends of a continuum of game managing QBs. On the other end of the continuum is Alex Smith. What separates these two from not being the same is that, unlike Smith, Wilson has the benefit of being drafted by an extremely well-run organization (not to mention several strokes of luck). If you put Alex Smith in the driver's seat of the Seahawks offense, you would get exactly the same results.

 

[Akhilleus]

He currently makes less than $1 million per season. Yes, he gets endorsement money, but this first contract is the only one he'll definitely be healthy enough to get for sure. Going from 20-25 million doesn't seem like a big deal, but he's got a fiancee and will probably have kids that he wants to make sure are taken care of. Maximize money in this contract, then make decisions for financial/sentimental reasons later.

And at the very least the extra 5 million would cover the professional athletes tax they all have to pay. Think that comes around to being about 1 million dollars, and that's not counting the normal taxes everyone else has to pay too. Then there's money that he puts into taking care of his body and health. Money that can go towards his charities.

Not to mention, the guy has led the Seattle Seahawks to two Superbowls, winning one already. Add on the fact that all of his peers are making bank when it comes to contracts. Look at Joe Flacco and the contract he landed. Russell Wilson is at the very least in the same tier as Flacco, I like him more than Flacco is ways. Good quarterbacks are not often easy to acquire, and you cannot very often have success without one. Wilson has proven success, he deserves to get paid. The contract doesn't have to be guaranteed money, they usually aren't. Most of them are all contingent based. But he deserves a good contract, and Seattle should be making it a priority to do that.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Guys, thanks for the posts. Most of you think he could be the highest paid player but will probably be back in Seattle for a little less.

I also think Seattle will find a way to get a deal done. I'm thinking a fully guaranteed contract of 5 Year, $90M. Is he worth more? Probably to another team, but Seattle has 52 other players to pay. There's only so much you can invest into one player.

 

[Akhilleus]

I think Russell Wilson should be their priority over at least the other offensive players. Lynch is headed out the door, he's been contemplating retirement every day. Who knows the dude could call it quits halfway into training camp if he wants to. They have a lot of defensive players they're going to want to get back. But like I said and I'll say it again, franchise Quarterbacks are hard to come by. And Wilson isn't exactly an Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning, but he's one of the better QBs in the league and you don't want to lose him. Especially in a division where the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams are going to be giving you a good fight for the division. They won't win without Wilson...they could make due losing a couple of their defensive players, but they can't make due losing Wilson. And for that he should be resigned.

He definitely doesn't deserve to be the highest paid player in the league, not even the highest paid QB. But he does deserve a contract similar to what other QBs of better and worse caliber to him have been getting.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

The only way Russell Wilson should see $22M per year is if it's a relatively long-term contract (six years) with no more than 40% of it guaranteed

Unthinkably, this damn near happened and proved this (what is sane logic) entirely wrong.


Wilson got 60 mil garunteed over just 4 years, 22(21.9) mil a year, and lots of laughs for Mighty NorCal. Just below A-Rod money, but with less of a long term commitment. Holy shit.



Just.......Holy shit. I could not fathom this result, and ye verily, it has come to pass.


I think we will look back upon this as the start of the downfall of the Seahwaks. Russel is good, top ten even, but he is no one man team the way Rdogers and Luck can be.



Oh boy. Good for you though, Russ!!


I think we will look back on this

 

[jmt225]

I think we will look back upon this as the start of the downfall of the Seahwaks.

If Pete Carroll once again builds a superstar team with mid-round draft selections then he will go down as the greatest football talent evaluator of all time.

Awesome for Russ though. Good football player, an even better person. I'm happy for him.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Finally, the Seahawks and Russell Wilson agreed on a contract extension. It pays him $21.9M annually for 4 years.

Wilson is now the second highest paid NFL player behind Aaron Rodgers ($22M annually).

Wilson also got $61.5M guaranteed, which leads all NFL players.

Does Wilson deserve this much money? Should he be the highest paid NFL player? What are your expectations for the Seahawks in 2015 and beyond?