Seahawks, Leonard Williams agree to 3-year extension

The Seattle Seahawks and three-time Pro Bowler Leonard Williams have agreed to a three-year, $90 million contract extension that makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive tackles, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Thursday morning.

Leonard Williams: Macdonald’s authenticity set tone for Seahawks’ success

The Seahawks confirmed the contract extension with Williams on Thursday afternoon.

Here to stay. pic.twitter.com/bCoBI5nLKP

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 27, 2026

Williams’ new deal keeps him under contract with Seattle through 2029 and includes $56 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Williams, 32, is now tied with Tampa Bay’s Vita Vea as the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid defensive tackle at $30 million in average annual value. He trails only Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter ($38 million in AAV), Dallas’ Quinnen Williams ($35.3 million), Tennessee’s Jeffery Simmons ($35.276 million) and Kansas City’s Chris Jones ($31.75 million).

Williams was entering the final season of a three-year, $64.5 million contract that he signed in March 2024 after Seattle acquired him in a 2023 midseason trade with the New York Giants. That deal carried $21.5 million in AAV, which ranked 14th among interior defensive linemen.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Williams has excelled in Mike Macdonald’s defense over the past two seasons. He’s totaled 18.0 sacks over that span, the most among all NFL defensive tackles.

Earlier this summer, Williams was named the No. 1 defensive tackle in ESPN’s annual position group rankings, which factored in surveys of league executives, coaches and scouts.

In 2024, Williams piled up 11.0 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, along with a 92-yard pick-six and three pass deflections. He followed that with 7.0 sacks and nine tackles for loss during the Seahawks’ 2025 Super Bowl-winning campaign, while serving as a game-wrecking force on Seattle’s top-ranked scoring defense.

Williams, who is entering his 12th NFL season, was a Pro Bowler each of the past two years and a second-team All-Pro in 2025.

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