Seahawks' Derick Hall takes sure thing to stay in ‘special' place

RENTON - Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall could have gambled and made the proverbial "bet on himself that a big statistical year in 2026 could lead to an even bigger market in free agency in 2027.

But when the bird - or should it be Seahawk? - in hand is already as good as it is, why not take the sure thing?

That led to Hall on Wednesday morning signing a three-year extension with the Seahawks through the 2029 season, reported to be worth up to $42 million with $21 million guaranteed.

That contract represents a big raise from the $2.275 million average he has made on the rookie contract he received after being taken 37th overall out of Auburn in 2023.

It might be less than a season approaching or exceeding double-digit sacks might have gotten him.

But Hall - who saw teammate Boye Mafe sign a three-year deal worth up to $60 million with the Bengals as a free agent in March - said potentially giving up some money down the road was a small price to pay to assure he gets to stay with the Seahawks.

"This place is really special to me," he said after signing his new deal Wednesday. "For me, man, I really love the game of football (and) obviously the money enhances your job and what we do. But it's really about the love of the game and knowing what I'm getting myself into when I come to work every day.

"Obviously this is a pristine organization and (general manager) John (Schneider) and (coach) Mike (Macdonald) and all those guys, they do a great job of letting us be ourselves and truly come out and compete and I know we are going to win a lot of games and a lot of championships here, so I'm willing to sacrifice whatever everybody else thought I would be willing to make to be here and to be with this team."

Hall said the deal first began to come together about three weeks ago with the Seahawks desiring to keep a young player - he turned 25 in March - at a position where they have some age and contract uncertainty and Hall also eager to assure his own future.

"I think it was something they wanted to get done pretty quick," he said. "Obviously on my side we wanted to get something done. We love it here, I'm happy to be here, so I'm glad we got the deal done."

The extension comes in the wake of a star-crossed season for Hall that ended on the highest of notes.

Hall had just two sacks in the regular season after making eight in 2024, in part because of missing two games with injury and another to a suspension.

He matched that total with two sacks in the Super Bowl win over New England, one of which forced a fumble that led to the Seahawks' first touchdown, a performance that illustrated the kind of impact Hall can make.

"Last year was pretty tough for me," he said. "… It was hard for me to get home (to make a sack)."

Hall said he was "letting it worry me so much" that he wasn't making more sacks despite solid pressure and pass-rush win rates that he found himself praying one night and promising to do what he could to be ready when the right moment arrived to make his presence truly felt.

"What better time to show itself on a worldwide stage than the Super Bowl," he said. "... To have it show up at that time was pretty special for me."

Sack totals don't fully illustrate Hall's worth to the team in setting the edge and his run defense.

Safety Julian Love called Hall "probably the most violent person in our defense," which he said helps set a tone for the rest of the unit.

"When someone is willing to rush the passer but also stop the run, that's how we are built," Love said. "We don't do that chasing sacks stuff, and he doesn't do that. He's a complete end for us."

Hall said the Seahawks recognizing that value in him was another reason he wanted to stay.

The contract marks a high point in a life that began about as precariously as could be.

Hall was born 23-and-a-half weeks premature, weighing just 2 pounds, 9 ounces. His mother - Stacy Gooden-Crandle - was told at the time he had a 1% chance to live arriving, as she said once, "without a heartbeat and considered dead at birth."

Gooden-Crandle refused to sign a do-not-resuscitate form she was handed and watched over her son as he spent the next five months in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit while battling bleeding on the brain and jaundice before beginning to recover. Hall later battled a number of other issues that included asthma and underdeveloped lungs.

Those memories proved an inescapable backdrop when Gooden-Crandle and Hall's sister, R'Hana Gooden, made the trip Tuesday from Gulfport, Miss., to Seattle to watch Hall sign his contract. They got in midnight Tuesday after Hall agreed to the deal and flew back later Wednesday so Gooden-Crandle could get back to work Thursday.

"It was special," said Hall, who now stands 6 foot, 3 inches and weighs 260 pounds, of sharing the moment with his mom and sister. "… Looking from where I come from to looking to where the Lord has blessed my now, man, it's unbelievable, it's unimaginable and just continues to show people no matter where you start, no matter where you come from, there's always hope."

Hall's plan to pay them back includes buying property back home this offseason in Gulfport where he said he wants to build "a family compound."

What he also wants to do is prove his worth to the Seahawks over the next few seasons, saying he's already working on expanding his pass-rush repertoire this offseason.

"It's just the tip of the iceberg," said Hall, who has 10 sacks in three seasons. There is so much more for me and I know there is so much greater heights that I can go to in my game of ball and just continue to work toward that every single day.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 11:42 PM.