Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson made it clear to the team that he preferred to have a new contract in place by April 15, when offseason activities began for them and he got his wish. Bovada, one of the most respected sportsbooks today will offer NFL Week 1 lines once the league releases next season’s schedule and Wilson and the Seahawks agreeing to a new contract allows him to focus on preparing for what’s to come and now the team can turn their attention to other matters.
Russell Wilson signed his previous deal with the Seahawks on July 31, 2015. It was a four-year deal worth 87.6 million, so Wilson was going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the coming season if both parties failed to reach an agreement on an extension by then.
At the time he signed his current contract it made Wilson the second-highest paid quarterback in the league by average annual value, so he wanted a figure that would place him back in the top 10 or top five at his position. In order for that to happen, he had to get a contract worth at least $27.5 million a year and he got more than that, as both parties agreed to a new four-year, $140 million contract with an average annual value of $35 million, which made him the highest-paid player in the NFL.
The guaranteed amount of $107 million in this contract is also the highest in the National Football League and Wilson’s $65 million signing bonus is the largest in the history of the league.
Highest Paid Quarterbacks Next Season
1. Russell Wilson: average annual value of $35 million
2. Aaron Rodgers: average annual value of $33.5 million
3. Matt Ryan: average annual value of $30 million
4. Kirk Cousins: average annual value of $28 million
5. Jimmy Garoppolo: average annual value of $27.5 million
6. Matthew Stafford: average annual value of $27 million
7. Derek Carr: average annual value of $25 million
8. Drew Brees: average annual value of $25 million
9. Andrew Luck: average annual value of $24.6 million
10. Alex Smith: average annual value of $23.5 million
Highest Paid Athletes by Sport Based on Average Annual Contract Value
Lionel Messi (Soccer): average annual value of over $80 million
Canelo Alvarez (Boxing): average annual value of $73 million with the streaming service DAZN
James Harden and John Wall (NBA): average annual value of $42.3 million
Mike Trout (MLB): average annual value of $35.8 million
Russell Wilson (NFL): average annual value of $35 million
Connor McDavid (NHL): average annual value of $12.5 million
Highest-Paid NFL Players of All-Time
1. Peyton Manning
Career Earnings: $248.7 million
2. Eli Manning
Career Earnings: $235.3 million
3. Drew Brees
Career Earnings: $221.7 million
4. Tom Brady
Career Earnings: $217.2 million
5. Aaron Rodgers
Career Earnings: $204.0 million
6. Philip Rivers
Career Earnings: $202.9 million
7. Ben Roethlisberger
Career Earnings: $187.3 million
8. Matt Ryan
Career Earnings: $178.7 million
9. Matthew Stafford
Career Earnings: $178.3 million
10. Carson Palmer
Career Earnings: $174.1 million
Russell Wilson Stats Last Season
65.6 completion percentage, 3,448 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 65.6 total quarterback rating
Russell Wilson Career Stats
64.2 completion percentage, 25,624 passing yards, 196 touchdowns, 63 interceptions
Russell Wilson Career Playoff Stats
62.0 completion percentage, 3,010 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
Russell Wilson Stats When the Seahawks Won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2013-14
63.1 completion percentage, 3,357 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 67.2 total quarterback rating
Russell Wilson Playoff Stats When the Seahawks Won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2013-14
63.2 completion percentage, 524 passing yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions
The numbers don’t lie, Russell Wilson’s importance to the Seahawks is clear. He won a Super Bowl, he’s a five-time Pro Bowler, with consecutive appearances in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, he’s started every game for the Seahawks in all seven years of his career, his completion percentage has never fallen below 61 percent and his career-low for touchdown passes is 20.
Russell Wilson’s sacks (41, 43 and 51) have increased and his passing yards (4,219, 3,983 and 3,448) have decreased over the last two seasons but the Seahawks knew they would not find a more capable and consistent quarterback via free agency or the NFL Draft and Wilson is arguably the face of the franchise, so he deserves this contract.
