Where Things Stand Between Seahawks, Devon Witherspoon on Contract Extension

The Seattle Seahawks are making Jaxon Smith-Njigba the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL after signing a four-year contract extension with the 2023 first-round pick.

However, the Seahawks likely aren't done handing out large extensions, as there is another first-round pick from the 2023 draft that needs a little more financial security in cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

Witherspoon, the No. 5 overall pick out of Illinois, has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league since he arrived in the pacific northwest. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the league, recording 249 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and a pair of interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Witherspoon Next For Big Extension

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon speaks to the media at Super Bowl LX press conference. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Witherspoon's stats don't tell the full story. He is a true shutdown cornerback for the Seahawks, and he still has a lot of good football in his future. Witherspoon turned 25 years old during the 2025 season and still has two years left on his deal after his fifth-year option was accepted by the team earlier this month.

There is a good chance the Seahawks will now begin negotiating with Witherspoon to try and get a deal that is similar to Smith-Njigba's four-year contract.

Witherspoon won't make as much as Smith-Njigba did because the league's highest-paid cornerback is Trent McDuffie of the Los Angeles Rams, at an average of $31 million per season. Witherspoon should expect to see a similar amount when negotiating his deal, something in the neighborhood of four years, $125 million. That is what Witherspoon should expect as the high value on his contract.

There isn't a guarantee that Witherspoon is trying to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league. The reason why Smith-Njigba is deserving of that contract is because he led the league in receiving this past season. The Seahawks want to take care of their own players, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Witherspoon become the next highest-paid cornerback in the league, but there is no guarantee of that needing to happen in order for a deal to come through.

That being said, Witherspoon should want to feel comfortable and winning the Super Bowl should help him with leverage in negotiations this offseason.

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