The Seahawks’ salary cap outlook after Leonard Williams deal

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks secured yet another foundational player to a long-term deal last week, signing three-time Pro Bowler Leonard Williams to a three-year, $90 million contract extension that makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive tackles.

Brock & Salk: Leonard Williams deal ‘great news’ for Seahawks

Williams joined wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (four-year, $168 million extension), cornerback Devon Witherspoon (four-year, $132 million extension), left tackle Charles Cross (four-year, $104.4 million extension), wide receiver/return specialist Rashid Shaheed (three-year, $51 million deal) and edge rusher Derick Hall (three-year, $42 million extension) as the latest Seahawks player to ink a big-money deal in the 2026 calendar year.

With the details of Williams’ deal now available on Over The Cap, here’s a closer look the contract and how it impacts Seattle’s salary cap space.

The basics

Williams’ new-money average of $30 million per year makes him the fifth-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL. The deal includes $54 million in guaranteed money, including $37.35 million in new-money guarantees.

Williams, 32, was entering the final season of his previous deal, so the extension keeps him under contract with Seattle through 2029.

Year-by-year cap hits

Here’s a look at the year-by-year salary cap charges on Williams’ deal, according to Over The Cap. The extension decreased Williams’ 2026 cap hit from $29.6 million to $22 million.

• 2026 – $22 million
• 2027 – $23.1 million
• 2028 – $27.6 million
• 2029 – $42.9 million
• 2030 – $13.4 million (void year)

Keep in mind, the salary cap is projected to continue increasing each year. That’s why teams often backload their cap hits.

Also, the Seahawks have avenues to get out of Williams’ contract before his age-35 season in 2029, when his cap hit balloons to $42.9 million.

If the Seahawks were to release Williams prior to June 1, 2029, they would save $34.1 million against the 2029 cap and take on $8.8 million in dead money, according to Over The Cap. And if the Seahawks were to release him with a post-June 1 designation in 2029, they would save $38.5 million against the cap and take on just $4.4 million in dead money.

Seattle’s 2026 cap space

After Williams’ deal, the Seahawks now have approximately $27.7 million in salary cap space for 2026, which ranks 11th-most in the NFL, according to Over The Cap.

Also of note: Seattle has an NFL-low $2.3 million in dead money – which refers to cap space allotted to players no longer on the roster. For reference, the median NFL team has approximately $38.6 million in dead money.

In short, the Seahawks have shown an incredible knack in recent years for not getting tied into bad contracts that age poorly. Seattle no doubt hopes that trend continues with Williams, who has played the best football of his career in his early 30s.

Seattle Seahawks news and more

• Seahawks’ Emmanwori chimes in on Aaron Donald’s return to Rams
• Seattle Seahawks swing trade with Chargers for rookie cornerback
• Seahawks officially sign Terrion Arnold amid CB’s legal issues

Related

Seahawks announce initial 17-man practice squad for 2026Seahawks lose 2nd-year edge rusher to waiver claimReport: Seahawks sign 2-time Pro Bowl CB Trevon Diggs to practice squadSeahawks’ big concern going into season is kicker Jason MyersSeahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba ranked No. 5 in NFL Top 100Seahawks’ Emmanwori chimes in on Aaron Donald’s return to Rams