No Reason to Worry About Devon Witherspoon’s Future With Seahawks Beyond 2026
Close to two months after the team opted to pick up his fifth-year option, the Seattle Seahawks have yet to ink star cornerback Devon Witherspoon to a lucrative multi-year extension, creating questions about when the two sides will strike a deal as the 2026 season rapidly approaches.
From Seattle’s perspective, not having a new contract in place with the former top-five draft choice isn’t a result of not trying or not being interested in rewarding him with a well-earned raise as one of the highest paid players at his position. As reported by Emerald City Spectrum back in March after the team picked up options for Witherspoon and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, general manager John Schneider and the front office had already been in extension discussions with representatives for both players prior to that point, agreeing to a record-breaking four-year, $168.6 million deal with the latter on March 23.
Now two months after Smith-Njigba signed the dotted line to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, Witherspoon still does not have a new deal of his own, however. According to Brady Henderson of ESPN, the two sides do not appear to be “close to an agreement” at this point, a revelation that may make a large portion of the fan base feel uneasy about the situation.
It’s possible Witherspoon and his agency made their desires to make him the highest-paid cornerback in football known right out of the gate and unlike with Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks balked at such an investment, instead countering with their perceived contract value for the All-Pro. Drawing such a line in the sand has been known to irk a star player or two over the years and can certainly complicate matters trying to get the two sides back on track towards a new deal.
But when it comes to Witherspoon’s future as a Seahawk, it’s far from time to press the panic button. And seeing his glowing smile in numerous pictures from the team’s offseason program - which he showed up for earlier than coach Mike Macdonald expected his veterans to report for - should be a strong indicator that the player himself isn’t worried about his contract situation in the least bit.
Every contract negotiation in the NFL features unique discussions based on unique circumstances. In the case of Smith-Njigba, after the fourth-year receiver led the league in receiving yards and won Offensive Player of the Year honors, Schneider and company went to Seahawks team chair Jody Allen asking for permission to hand out the aforementioned record contract and quickly received her blessing to lock up the superstar pass catcher for the long haul.
As a result of that proactive approach, the franchise’s willingness to pay him market setting money, and the player’s motivation to take care of business smoothly without any hitches, Smith-Njigba’s new deal came together much quicker than most contract extensions for high-priced stars, particularly at the receiver position where such negotiations can be drama-filled and become contentious for both sides.
Regarding contract talks in the NFL, it’s much more common for the two sides to engage in early conversations that serve as baselines to see where both the team and player’s representation stand, using those meetings as precursors to reopen the discussion at a later date when deadlines tend to make deals come to fruition. For Schneider, that window has typically opened in mid-June after Seattle conducts its final phase of the offseason, including OTAs and mandatory minicamp, the final on-field work before training camp opens in late July.
Based on past precedent, if there’s a safe bet for Witherspoon and the Seahawks agreeing to a massive extension with top five, or even top three, cornerback salary, it would be Schneider’s sweet spot in late July or early August where he has signed numerous players at the start of the new season. On the contrary, if a contract isn’t agreed to by the time September rolls around, history suggests the team will table discussions again with the focus shifting to the regular season.
But while that scenario would often be seen as a major risk for teams allowing a star player to start the final year of his rookie contract without a new deal in place and free agency right around the corner, Seattle has given itself far more flexibility with Witherspoon now under contract for a fully guaranteed $21.161 million in 2027. The window has been extended to continue exploring extension possibilities, just as Schneider did by using the fifth-year option on tackle Charles Cross last season.
Even though Cross didn’t receive a new deal before the 2025 season started, the Seahawks signed him to a lucrative extension before the playoffs started in January, rewarding him for his stellar play anchoring a much-improved offensive line as Sam Darnold’s blindside protector. That hasn’t been Schneider’s way of doing business in the past signing players during the season, but it’s also worth noting that he had never picked up a fifth-year option until doing so with tight end Noah Fant in 2022.
Since then, as a result of an outstanding run of success landing star players in the first round over the past four NFL drafts, Schneider has already employed the option with Cross, Witherspoon, and Smith-Njigba over the past two offseasons, and it would be a major surprise if he doesn’t do the same with defensive tackle Byron Murphy II next spring. That development has presented an opportunity for a philosophical shift from causation, prolonging the negotiation period while continuing to evaluate the development of the player and opening the door for deals to come to fruition in-season as Cross’ did.
Keeping that in mind, this could be drummed up as a situation where Schneider and the Seahawks may want to see Witherspoon elevate his game to another level before the franchise decides to pony up upwards of $30-plus million dollars per season to re-sign him as one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. With only two interceptions in three seasons, it could boil down to simply making a few more of the “impact” plays that show up in the box score to go with his immense contributions in ways that don’t always reflect by statistics. Or it could simply be staying healthy, as he’s had a few injuries cost him multiple games in two of his first three seasons.
Regardless, after starring for a Super Bowl champion and garnering Second-Team All-Pro honors in just his third season, the Seahawks no doubt view Witherspoon as a critical part of their of their future as they aim to continue pursuing Lombardi Trophies. They wouldn’t have been actively pursuing an extension before signing off on his fifth-year option otherwise, and while it may have been preferred to take care of business quickly as they did with Smith-Njigba, the player doesn’t appear to be frustrated in the least bit and showing up earlier than expected for voluntary workouts proves once again that he wants to be with the organization for the long haul.
Armed with an extra 12 months to get a deal done, the Seahawks have plenty of time to reach common ground with Witherspoon and lock him up long term. Even if an extension doesn’t come to fruition before or in the early stages of training camp, expect to see both sides back at the negotiating table once the offseason program has concluded, if they haven’t already restarted the process already, making a new contract a matter of when and not if.
