Checking Out the Details of the Devon Witherspoon Contract Extension

We know Devon Witherspoon is the highest-paid cornerback in the history of the NFL, but how exactly does the contract shake out over the next several seasons?

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) celebrates after a fumble recovery against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Four years and $132 million, on top of the two years and $31.3 million that was left on the previous deal. It’s a massive amount of money, and Devon Witherspoon is certainly happy with the way things went. But how, specifically, will the money be deployed, and what are the cap commitments for the team over the length of the deal. Let’s check Pro Football Talk.

Breaking Down The Cap Hits

The most important thing when considering this contract is how the hits spread out. For the upcoming season, the cap commitment has gone up from $10,137,639 to $15,387,639. So that’s an increase of $5,250,000. 2027’s cap hit, however, has gone down from $21,161,000 to $14,311,000, so a reduction of $6,850,000. All comes out pretty even.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) during warmups before the game against the Dallas Cowboys. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things kick up a notch starting in 2028, when the cap hit goes up to $27,150,000. There’s a slight bump to $27,950,000 in 2029, then a final burst to $36,250,000 for 2030 and $39,400,000 for the final year, 2031. Two void years, estimated at $8,500,000 total, are also added on. So, overall, the hits don’t become truly punishing until 2030.

Maintaining Flexibility

What really surprises me is just how tame the dead cap hits are in the event the Seahawks want to hit the eject button on the contract early. Of course, he’s locked in for this year and next year, but according to OverTheCap, cutting him becomes reasonable as early as 2028. Even that early, Seattle is only on the hook for $15,750,000, which means they’d save $11,400,000.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) celebrates after a play during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Those dead cap hits drop to $10,500,000 in 2030 and $5,250,000 in 2031, meaning a release would save $17,450,000 and $31,000,000 respectively. In 2031, none of the money is listed as guaranteed, meaning there’s no dead cap at all. It’s a deal that looks like it’s designed to provide maximum flexibility, while ensuring Spoon gets paid as long as he balls out.

John Schneider Has Done It Again

Overall, this deal looks great for the Seahawks. Assuming this information is accurate, the team has viable options as soon as Spoon’s cap hits go north of $25 million a year, making it highly unlikely they’re ever going to end up holding the bag. He becomes highly tradeable later in the contract as well, as well as easy to extend due to the low bonuses.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) talks to media members at the San Jose Marriott. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This team is spending a lot of money on their premiere players, and will be spending a lot more on some others in the next few years. Making good deals is crucial to being able to keep this crew together, and it looks like John Schneider has made another good deal.

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