Seahawks extend WR Tyler Lockett with multi-year deal
Aug 29, 2018, 9:22 AM | Updated: 1:34 pm
(AP)
The Seahawks have locked up return man and wide receiver Tyler Lockett for the next several years, the team confirmed Wednesday.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the deal is a three-year contract extension worth $31.8 million with $20 million guaranteed.
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The Seahawks drafted Lockett, 25, in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Lockett’s impact on the field was immediate in his rookie season. He set new franchise records for longest kick return (105), most kick return yards by a rookie (1,231), most punt return yards in a single game (139) and most all-purpose yards in a rookie season (1,915).
Lockett suffered a broken leg in the final game of his sophomore season. The injury, Lockett said earlier this summer, kept him at around 80 percent for the 2017 season.
Lockett, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent in March 2019, has a chance to have a bigger impact this season. The fourth-year pro is now more than a year recovered from the injury and is a reliable veteran behind No. 1 receiver Doug Baldwin (the latter told reporters Tuesday he expects to play with a knee injury for the full 2018 season).
“Tyler’s been a great Seahawk, an incredibly productive player,” head coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday. “You check his numbers, nobody’s done more than he’s done in the years he’s been in the league in terms of total yards. He’s just been such a great competitor for us. This is a great chance to reward him accordingly and make him a Seahawk for a long time.”
So far this offseason, the Seahawks have locked up two starters on offense with contract extensions: Lockett, and left tackle Duane Brown. Several key starters on defense are also in a contract year, but are still awaiting an extension. That list includes linebacker K.J. Wright, defensive end Earl Thomas, and – under the biggest spotlight this offseason – free safety Earl Thomas.
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