Seattle Seahawks fans got their first public look at Devon Witherspoon’s contract stance on Hard Knocks, and there’s no sign of a holdout drama brewing.
On Episode 1, which aired Tuesday night, the cornerback talked while riding in a car with the HBO crew and laid out why elite corners matter so much. His message was straightforward: the position is brutal, top-level players are rare, and those guys get paid.
Witherspoon said, "Outside of quarterback, (cornerbacks) have the hardest position on the field. It's hard to guard (receivers), especially when you can't touch them past five yards...
It's a hard job to play, so when you've got a guy who can really...shut down a receiver, or could be versatile like I am, you don't come across those guys often. So, when you've got a premier corner like that, you pay him.
Please pay him. That's all we're saying.
But it's not something on my mind right now."
That last part is the key. He didn’t sound frustrated, and he didn’t sound like a player bracing for a fight with the team. Instead, he came across like someone who understands the business and knows a big payday is coming eventually.
The timing matters, too. Seattle already extended edge rusher Derick Hall and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba this past offseason, but Witherspoon’s situation is different in the sense that it still has time to play out. He is not under the gun right now.
Part of the reason Seattle can breathe easy is that Witherspoon is still practicing in full. He’s not following the path of fellow 2023 draft picks Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions and Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons, who showed up to training camp and refused to practice before Robinson later signed a massive extension.
There’s also the contract timeline itself. Witherspoon is not just signed through 2026.
Because the Seahawks picked up his fifth-year option, he is under contract through 2027. That gives Seattle two full seasons before free agency becomes the real pressure point.
If it ever got to that stage, the Seahawks could still use the franchise tag on him and keep him through 2028. That would be a last resort, though, because it would put real strain on the relationship.
The likeliest outcome is that general manager John Schneider gets an extension done with Witherspoon’s camp before the coming season. If that happens, the deal would probably make Witherspoon the highest-paid player at his position, at least for a while.
His agency also represents New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, so the ripple effect could keep going. Witherspoon would likely reset the cornerback market, and Gonzalez could do it again soon after.
For Seattle, that’s not a problem. It’s the cost of having a premier corner.
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