Wilson “100 percent” prepared to play out final year of rookie deal

RENTON – Russell Wilson expressed both his desire to remain in Seattle and his optimism that a deal will eventually get done while acknowledging the possibility that it may not happen before this coming season. And he insisted that his ongoing contract negotiation with the Seahawks hasn’t take his focus off his offseason preparation.

Wilson spoke following the Seahawks’ Organized Team Activity on Tuesday, meeting with the local media for the first time since two days after the Super Bowl. At that point, he had just become eligible to begin discussing an extension with the Seahawks having finished his third NFL season. Four months later, a deal doesn’t seem to be all that close to getting done.

How would Wilson characterize the state of the negotiations? He wouldn’t, really.

“I’m focused on football,” Wilson said. “I’m going to be the boring, cliche answer, but it’s the truth. Ultimately I believe it will work out, hope that it does. I just take one day at a time. It’s a private matter. I don’t’ really talk about that kind of stuff. I’m here to play football and [his agent is] there to work out deals and figure out things. My focus is on football and trying to win football games for us.”

The first public comments from Wilson’s side came last week when his agent, Mark Rodgers, told 710 ESPN Seattle that there’s no sense of urgency to get a deal done, saying Wilson would be fine playing out the final year of his rookie deal if the right offer doesn’t materialize before then.

Wilson confirmed his willingness to do so.

“Yeah, I’m prepared for that 100 percent, if that’s the case,” he said. “You know, I want to be here for a long time, but if that’s the case I’ve just got to get ready to play. I love the game, and I love being out here with these guys and just playing and so ultimately I just take it one day at a time and just see where it takes me.”

Wilson’s contract situation was the most-asked about topic as he met with the media for about 16 minutes.

He answered some of the questions directly, like when he denied having vented frustration over the state of his contract situation with some cryptic Tweets, a practice known as subtweeting. “Yeah, that’s reading too much into it,” he said.

He avoided a few of the questions adroitly, such as one that asked whether there’s been anything during the negotiation process so far that has discouraged him.

And he flat-out declined to address one question about the level of compensation he’s seeking on his extension. Wilson was asked whether he’s hoping to be in the same ballpark as Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who just finalized an extension worth around $20 million a season.

“It’s a private matter. I’m not going to talk money,” he said. “That’s one of those things, I’m not going to talk about anything like that. It’s between me and my lawyer, Mark Rodgers, and the Seahawks. Whenever it works out, I think everybody will know, find out, if that’s the case. It’s just one of those things. I’m honestly just trying to keep that close to my chest and just continue to work on playing football.”

Wilson was asked how important it is to him to play for a long time in one city like Seattle.

“That’s the ultimate thing that I’ve always wanted. Think it has to be the right situation, obviously. But I’ve always wanted to play in a city, especially like this. It’s a place that I love and a place that’s meant a lot to me. I’ve moved around enough I feel like.

“… No matter where I go I always believe that it’s going to work out no matter what the situation is. And I hope that it’s here and I hope that it’s here for a long time and hopefully I get to wear the Seahawks blue in No. 3 for a long time. But we’ll see what happens.”