‘It’s a win-win’ – Seahawks, Witherspoon make record-setting deal official

Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon officially signed his reported four-year, $132 million contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.

How Witherspoon deal impacts Seahawks’ salary cap space

The signing came two days after Witherspoon and the Seahawks agreed to terms on the record-setting deal, which makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

Witherspoon, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, had two years left on his rookie deal after Seattle exercised the fifth-year option on his contract back in March. He’s now under contract with the Seahawks through 2031, ensuring that one of the franchise’s most talented and impactful players remains in the Pacific Northwest for the long haul.

“It’s a win-win,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider told Seahawks Radio Network play-by-play voice Steve Raible prior to Saturday’s preseason opener. “It’s a great deal for Spoon, it’s a great deal for the organization. He’ll be with us for the next six years now.

“He’s such a great guy, such a high-end competitor. Obviously, the instincts, the anticipation, but just the juice he brings and the way he treats everybody in the building, he’s just a special, special person.”

With his versatile and wide-ranging skill set, Witherspoon has made plays all over the field while totaling two interceptions, 32 pass breakups, 4.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles over his first three seasons. During that span, he was one of just four NFL players with at least 30 pass breakups, three sacks and 15 tackles for loss, according to Stathead.

Witherspoon served as a key cog in Seattle’s top-ranked defense last year, recording an interception, seven pass breakups, 0.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in 12 regular-season games. He then added four pass breakups in three postseason games, along with a sack and three quarterback hits in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl triumph over the New England Patriots.

Witherspoon joins star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the second first-round pick from Seattle’s 2023 draft class to strike a massive deal with the franchise this offseason. Smith-Njigba, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, agreed to a four-year, $168.6 million extension in March that made him the highest-paid wide receiver in league history.

“Spoon is all the things – he’s a great person, he’s a great football player, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great leader,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said after Saturday’s preseason game. “Those are the guys we want to be here. It’s similar to Jax. These are foundational people to our team, and I’m extremely excited to get that foundation laid where we know Spoon is going to be here for the long haul.

“And we’re also excited for the opportunity to reward him. This is a contract that we feel like he’s earned, and we should celebrate it as well. It’s really exciting to know that we have foundational players that are going to be part of our team for a long time.”

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