The Most Important Seahawks Extension Candidate Entering Training Camp

The Seattle Seahawks should use training camp this summer to figure out the future regarding cornerback Devon Witherspoon and defensive end Leonard Williams.

While both are extremely important to the Seahawks' defense for 2026 and beyond, getting Witherspoon's contract extension signed is more important for the team's future than Williams' upcoming deal.

Devon Witherspoon Should Take Priority in Contract Extension Talks

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

The Seahawks already extended wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba earlier this offseason. It would make sense for Witherspoon to get the next long-term deal. Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba were both first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft, so it's clear that Seattle is looking to extend the pillars of the future.

This isn't a slight on Williams, who is one of the best defensive linemen in the league. However at 32 years old, the Seahawks don't view Williams as much of a piece of the future compared to Witherspoon. On top of that, the Seahawks have defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, the team's 2024 first-round pick, who will be in a similar position for a contract extension this time next year.

Williams is a free agent at the end of the 2026 season. Witherspoon has an additional year on his contract with a fifth-year option. Seattle should still prioritize their cornerback because there is a chance that his price tag could increase even more after another likely strong season from him.

Right now, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie is the highest-paid cornerback in the league. The NFC West rival signed him to a four-year, $124 million extension, which pays him $31 million on average annually shortly after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Smith-Njigba signed a four-year deal in free agency that paid him $168.6 million. This means he's under contract for the next six years with the Seahawks, which is likely the ideal timeline for Witherspoon's new deal.

If the Seahawks can sign Witherspoon before the start of the season, they can eliminate any possible drama that could pop up in the future. It can send a message to the rest of the league that Seattle will have elite playmakers on both sides of the ball for the rest of the decade, which should scare other contenders in their path.

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