Devon Witherspoon Secures Bag as Seahawks Hand All-Pro Corner Record-Setting Extension

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While the negotiation process may have taken a bit more time than either party would have preferred, the Seattle Seahawks will have Devon Witherspoon roaming their disruptive secondary for years to come.

As confirmed by a team source, the Seahawks have agreed to terms with Witherspoon on a four-year, $132 million contract, making the former top-five pick the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Under the terms of the deal, he will receive $101 million in guaranteed money and $33 million per year in new money, both records for the position.

Quickly living up to the billing as the No. 5 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Witherspoon jumped right into Seattle’s starting lineup as a rookie and earned a Pro Bowl nod while finishing fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting. Emerging as a rare disruptor for the cornerback spot with the ability to blow up run plays and excel as a blitzer, he racked up 79 tackles, three sacks, and eight tackles for loss while returning his lone interception 97 yards for a touchdown in a Monday Night Football win over the New York Giants.

Once again making the Pro Bowl in 2024, Witherspoon nearly hit the 100-tackle mark and though he only had one sack, he still generated consistent pressure on limited opportunities to rush the passer and added six tackles for loss. In coverage, he produced six pass breakups while allowing just 9.1 yards per reception, taking a steady step forward in that aspect of his game.

While a knee injury cost Witherspoon five games last season, he turned in arguably his best campaign helping guide the Seahawks to their second Super Bowl victory. In just 12 games, he surpassed the 70-tackle mark for a third straight year while intercepting a pass and producing four quarterback hits, saving his best performance for the postseason.

Coming through in the clutch in crucial moments during Seattle’s playoff run, Witherspoon recorded two pivotal pass breakups in the NFC Championship Game, including a fourth down pass deflection that secured the team’s berth into Super Bowl LX. In the big game two weeks later, he wrought havoc as a blitzer harassing New England’s Drake Maye all night long, including a late quarterback hit that led to an interception returned for a touchdown by Uchenna Nwosu, all but icing the game and ensuring the Lombardi Trophy would return to the Pacific Northwest.

After that impressive finish to his third season, the Seahawks began discussions with Witherspoon and his camp in earnest in March after picking up his fifth-year option. But the initial offer from general manager John Schneider wasn’t good enough to strike a deal and the two sides waited until after OTAs and minicamp in the spring to re-open discussions, which were complicated by the fact that Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez needed a new contract and also was represented by the same agency.

Over the past few weeks, the framework for Witherspoon’s new contract started to come together, with guaranteed money being a sticking point that the two sides had to hammer out. Through it all, the player remained all business on the field, participating in every one of Seattle’s training camp practices without holding out or “holding in” and choosing not to practice or partake in only individual drills.

With only two career interceptions on his resume, some may question the Seahawks’ decision to reset the market and hand Witherspoon record-setting money. But his impact on the defense and team overall aren’t always evident in the box score, as he sets the tone defending the run with the physicality and tenacity of a 250-pound linebacker at just 185 pounds, can cover at a high level from the boundary as well as the slot, and creates major problems with his pass rushing acumen rocketing into the backfield.

Beyond his on-field numbers, “Spoon” brings an infectious energy and boisterous personality that have been driving factors behind Seattle’s ascent back to the league’s elite. Lauded for his football IQ by coach Mike Macdonald and others in the building, his communication skills have been critical in a complicated scheme that demands a ton from defensive backs on the back end.

By getting this deal hashed out before the start of the 2026 season, Schneider now has three key foundational pieces under contract through at least the 2030 season. Along with Witherspoon now locked up through 2031, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history in March signing a four-year, $168.6 million extension and tackle Charles Cross jumped into the top-10 highest paid tackles in the league with a four-year, $104.4 million contract in January, highlighting an incredible stretch of drafts for the organization.

Since 2022, Schneider has invested top-32 picks in Cross, Witherspoon, Smith-Njigba, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, guard Grey Zabel, and most recently running back Jadarian Price. With the first three players now signed to lucrative extensions, Murphy looks poised to join them as early as next spring when he becomes eligible for a second contract, while Zabel appears to be well on his way to a massive deal down the line as well.

After addressing the biggest priority on Seattle’s offseason checklist, Schneider can now shift his focus towards a new contract for veteran defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next March. Looking ahead, the front office can also begin prepping the framework for future extensions for quarterback Sam Darnold and Murphy, with those two players expected to be the most pressing contractual concerns after the 2026 season.