Leonard Williams isn’t sweating the contract noise, and that’s exactly the kind of answer Seahawks fans want to hear as training camp rolls on.
The Seattle defensive lineman is in the middle of camp work for the upcoming season, even as he and the front office continue talking about a new deal. If nothing changes, Williams is set to hit free agency at the end of the 2026 season. For now, though, he’s keeping his attention where he says it belongs.
“I try not to think about it, honestly,” Williams told reporters about his contract. “I’ve always been that type of guy.
I’ve had a lot of contracts at this point in my career, and I’ve always noticed players that really focus on their contract end up not playing well. They end up having their head in the wrong place.
“I’ve noticed that when I just focus on being where I’m at, focusing on my team and how I can get better individually, things always tend to work themselves out.”
That mindset lands well in Seattle, especially after winning the Super Bowl six months ago. It also makes the negotiations easier to view through a practical lens: the Seahawks have a reason to want Williams back, but there’s real business to sort through before anything gets done.
Williams is heading into his age-32 season, and while he remains a high-level player, the question is how long he can keep operating at that elite level among the league’s top defensive tackles. The market has already shifted this offseason, with Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles and Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans landing new deals that reset the bar.
Williams shouldn’t be expecting Simmons money. He’s older, and Seattle has more elite players on the books than Tennessee does. But this also may be the last major contract of his career, so there’s every reason for him to push for as much as he can get.
The Seahawks have another layer to think about, too: Byron Murphy II will be due for a new deal a year from now. Seattle will likely want to commit longer-term to Murphy because of his age and upside, and his fifth-year option can be exercised next year, putting him on track to become a potential free agent at the end of the 2028 season.
One clean path would be a strong two-year deal for Williams, one that pays him well through his age-35 season. After that, Seattle could shift that big-money focus to Murphy once his extension kicks in.
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