2 pieces of NFL news that could impact Seahawks next offseason

Quarterback Sam Darnold and defensive tackle Byron Murphy II could both be poised for massive contract extensions with the Seattle Seahawks next offseason, at which point both players will be entering the final year of their current deals.

Even after title, Seahawks may still be an ‘ascending’ team

And on Tuesday, there were two significant contract developments elsewhere in the NFL that could impact those potential Darnold and Murphy negotiations. Here’s a closer look.

Baker Mayfield’s contract situation

ESPN reported on Tuesday that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is heading to training camp without a new deal and will play out the final year of his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent. According to ESPN, Mayfield and the Bucs have been engaged in contract talks for several months, but “no real progress” has been made.

That’s noteworthy from a Seahawks perspective due to the parallels between Mayfield and Darnold.

The two quarterbacks have had similarly unique career paths, with both enduring early struggles with multiple teams before experiencing significant breakthroughs later on. And the two QBs have nearly identical contracts, with Mayfield entering the final season of a three-year, $100 million deal and Darnold entering the second season of a three-year, $100.5 million deal.

Furthermore, Mayfield and Darnold are on their own island in terms of QB salaries. According to Over The Cap, Darnold ranks 15th among QBs with an average annual value of $33.5 million, while Mayfield ranks 16th at $33.33 million. No other QBs have an AAV between $23 million and $43 million.

Essentially, if Mayfield had received an extension this offseason, it may have set a benchmark for what a potential Darnold extension could look like next offseason, as ESPN’s Bill Barnwell explained last month on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

“If you’re Sam Darnold’s agent, you’re looking at that (Mayfield) negotiation very closely,” Barnwell said. “You’re saying, hey, if Baker Mayfield gets maybe $50 million per year, well gosh, Sam Darnold’s won a Super Bowl, he’s a higher-profile quarterback, he’s got a better arm, he’s been more consistent as a starter over the last few years – maybe $52 million or $55 million should be the number for Sam Darnold.”

But now, it appears Mayfield will play out the remainder of his contract and then hit the open market.

Jalen Carter’s record-setting deal

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles are signing two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jalen Carter to a four-year, $152 million extension worth up to $160 million, ESPN reported on Tuesday.

It’s the biggest deal for a defensive tackle in NFL history in both guaranteed money ($106 million) and average annual value ($38 million). The only other defensive tackles with an AAV eclipsing $30 million are the Tennessee Titans’ Jeffrey Simmons ($35.28 million) and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones ($31.75 million), according to Over The Cap.

Carter’s deal resets the market for other talented, young defensive tackles like Murphy – whose next deal could place him among the highest-paid players at his position.

Carter, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has totaled 13.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss in his three seasons. Murphy, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 draft, is coming off a breakout 7.0-sack campaign last season.

Seattle Seahawks news and more

• DeMarcus Lawrence shares why he’s back after being ‘very close’ to retiring
• Seahawks announce games for throwback and ‘Rivalries’ uniforms
• Mike Salk’s 3 big Seattle Seahawks training camp takeaways

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