Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon contract talks hit a snag while JSN got paid fast

The Seattle Seahawks are sitting on a roster loaded with young stars still on their rookie deals. One of them just got paid. The other one is still waiting.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a four-year, $168 million extension earlier this offseason. That made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history at the time. It was a clean, quick negotiation. Nobody expected the same kind of smooth process for cornerback Devon Witherspoon. And according to a report from ESPN’s Brady Henderson, that’s exactly what’s playing out.

“Those negotiations haven’t gone as smoothly, with no deal yet despite Seattle making its initial offer three months ago,” Henderson wrote. “All signs have pointed to Witherspoon becoming the league’s highest-paid corner when his extension is completed. For now, he’s set to make $5.1 million in 2026, then $21.2 million on his fifth-year option in ’27.”

Why Witherspoon’s case is different

Witherspoon was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He’s already a Second Team All-Pro. Even though he played just 12 games last season, he racked up an interception, seven pass breakups, and 72 total tackles. That’s borderline elite production for a corner in a contract year.

The market shifted recently when Trent McDuffie got traded to the Los Angeles Rams and signed a four-year, $124 million deal. That made McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in the league. But Witherspoon’s camp can argue his ceiling is even higher. He’s younger. He’s got All-Pro pedigree. And the Seahawks clearly want to keep him long term.

The holdup might be about guaranteeing money, annual average value, or just the simple fact that Seattle has more than one star to sign. But Henderson’s reporting suggests both sides expect a deal that resets the cornerback market. It’s just a question of when, not if.

What comes next for Seattle’s secondary

The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl run. They’re young. They’re aggressive. And they’ve already locked up their star receiver. Now the focus shifts to Witherspoon, who could end up anchoring one of the NFL’s best secondaries for years.

If he keeps playing at this level, the holdout talk will only get louder. And Seattle knows it. The front office has three months of offers on the table already. No deal yet. But the clock is ticking toward training camp.