Seahawks, Top Defender ‘Not Close' on New Deal Despite Team's Latest Offer

Since joining the Seattle Seahawks in 2023, cornerback Devon Witherspoon established himself as one of the top defenders in the NFL.

A three-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl champion, Witherspoon is in line for a monster pay day as one of the top CBs in the league, and a new deal for him will likely be in the neighborhood of the three-year, $90 million range Derek Stingley Jr. got from the Houston Texans or the four-year, $100 million contract Jaycee Horn got from the Carolina Panthers.

But according to ESPN's Brady Henderson, Seattle has already made Witherspoon an offer but it was rejected.

"Seattle made an initial offer several weeks ago, according to a league source, but the two sides do not yet appear to be close to an agreement," Henderson reported.

"There’s still plenty of time for Seattle to get a deal done this offseason with Witherspoon, who has two years remaining on his rookie contract. The start of training camp - which is when the Seahawks often finalize extensions for veteran players - isn’t for another two months."

The holdup between Witherspoon and Seattle is likely over how much money the team wants to commit to him per season.

Does Witherspoon deserve to be paid like the top CBs in the NFL - Trent McDuffie ($31 million per year), Sauce Garnder ($30 million per year), Stingley Jr. ($30 million per year) - or is he just a really good, borderline top-10 player at his position, which would drop his AAV in the range of Denzel Ward ($20.1 million per year) or Marlon Humphrey ($19.5 million per year).

Spotrac projects Witherspoon's market value at $27.4 million per year, which would make him the fourth-highest paid cornerback in the NFL.

Judging by his stats - 249 tackles, 32 passes defended, 24 pass break-ups, 9.8 yards per reception allowed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, one defensive touchdown, a 69.2 completion percentage allowed, and a 98.6 passer rating against, per Pro Football Focus - Seattle may end up overpaying for a CB who's not quite in that elite category just yet.

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:04 PM.