Seahawks, Patriots Find Themselves in Another Battle After Super Bowl

The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will open the season on Sept. 9, just how last year ended.

The two teams were in the Super Bowl, with the Seahawks coming out on top. The Patriots have months to reflect on getting revenge, which they will look to achieve in the season opener. The two teams might be playing a game behind the scenes that could affect both of their rosters moving forward.

Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez are two cornerbacks who are eyeing long-term extensions with their respective teams. Both players have been negotiating, but neither has struck a deal with the franchise that took them in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It could possibly be part of the fact that each player is waiting on the other to sign so they can make more money.

Witherspoon, Gonzalez Jockeying for New Contracts

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon against the New England Patriots. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Witherspoon is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, which is a sign that he is deserving of the most money in the league at the position. The cornerback market has been reset a few times this offseason.

Trent McDuffie signed a four-year, $124 million extension with a $100 million guarantee after being traded by the Kansas City Chiefs back in March. Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns reset the market even further just a few weeks ago when he signed a two-year, $62.2 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid player in the league at the position.

Witherspoon and Gonzalez won't see their extension come into play until the 2028 season, when their fifth-year options are behind them, but this is each player's biggest chance to receive a maximum amount of money, so it's natural for both of them to fight for every penny. They have earned that right as they have risen to the top of their position in their first three seasons.

The difference between the two is that Gonzalez was injured for most of his rookie season, playing in just four games due to injury. Witherspoon has been a Pro Bowl cornerback from the jump. Gonzalez just made his first Pro Bowl this past season, but he was on the All-Pro second team in 2024. Witherspoon took his spot on the roster in 2025 and got the last laugh when the Seahawks beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Player	Devon Witherspoon	Christian Gonzalez
2023 Draft Pick	No. 5	No. 17
2023 Stats	79 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 1 interception (14 games)	17 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 interception (4 games)
2024 Stats	98 tackles, 1.0 sack (17 games)	59 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery (16 games)
2025 Stats	72 tackles, 0.5 sack, 1 interception (12 games)	69 tackles, 10 passes defensed (14 games)
All-Pro Appearances	1 (2025)	1 (2024)
Pro Bowl Appearances	3 (2023, 2024, 2025)	1 (2025)
Super Bowl Rings	1 (2025)	0

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter to most who is the highest-paid player, as long as both players get signed. It won't matter in the long run, but because it's part of their current reality, it might be the reason why an extension still has not come into play for Witherspoon and the Seahawks.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is confident the team can come to a resolution with Witherspoon on a new deal.

“I can tell you this: I couldn’t have any more confidence in our process and all the people involved in the whole operation,” Macdonald said last month via ESPN’s Brady Henderson. “I think that’s the best way to describe it. I’m just really confident right now in where we are, in Spoon and all his people and the way we do business, so I’m just confident.”

If Witherspoon wants to become the league's highest-paid cornerback, he will likely have to wait for Gonzalez to finalize his deal first. There is a good chance Gonzalez signs for around $32 million per year, so giving Witherspoon $32.5 million per year could make some sense.

Contract Projection: 4 Years, $130 Million

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