Seahawks, Leonard Williams Contract Extension Details

The Seattle Seahawks extended Leonard Williams’s contract last week, and we got the details a couple of days ago, with a similar layout to other Schneider contracts.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) speaks to the media at Super Bowl LX press conference. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When news of Leonard Williams’s extension was released to the public last week, we knew the length and we knew the amount of total money. But that only gives you a slice of the information, and the exact breakdown of the year-to-year cap hits was a crucial part that wasn’t immediately made known. Now, we have it, and it tells us a lot.

An Even Spread

The thing that really stands out about the Williams extension is, unlike many other big money contracts in the NFL these days, there isn’t a lot of backloading. The new cap hit for the about-to-start 2026 season on Big Cat is still $22,036,250, not that far off from the $30 million a year average, which allows for a gradual increase over the next couple seasons.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) during minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s worth noting that this is still a decrease from the prior cap hit, which was nearly $30 million, so there’s a savings of $7.6 million in this extension. That can fund the team’s practice squad and injury buffer for the year pretty easily. 2027’s cap hit is $23,086,250, and 2028 is $29,586,250, which is well worth it for a player of Big Cat’s caliber.

A 2029 Decision

The branch in the timeline comes in 2029, which is the last year of Williams’s new deal. That cap hit, $42,900,000 in a season where he’ll be 35 years old, is questionable even if the cap continues to go through the roof. At first glance, the decision seems simple, since Spotrac and OverTheCap list the dead cap as $8,800,000 to part ways.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) celebrates on the field following an NFC Divisional Round game. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Curtis Allen, my favorite cap wizard, has pointed out that this doesn’t include the option bonus proration, which by that point would be another $14 million. So the actual dead money amount is $22,800,000, making it much more complicated. It’s still over $20 million in savings, but a noticeable chunk of dead cap to eat. Ride it out, release, or extend?

Void Year Work

The final piece of the puzzle is void year money. The Seahawks have been using void years in recent years to spread out costs, although they’re not anywhere near as extreme as the Philadelphia Eagles. Williams has two void years here in the amount of $13,400,000. Insignificant in the grand scheme, but capable of adding up with other void contracts.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) looks on before Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is the John Schneider way. He isn’t interested in shoving everything into the middle for one season and leaving himself nothing to work with in a later season. He wants to build a contender that lasts for several years. And with contracts like this, I’d say he’s pulling it off.

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