The Seattle Seahawks’ 2023 draft class is already making an argument for one of the finest in club history.
Now, both of the esteemed class’ first-round picks are locked up for the long run after earning Super Bowl rings.
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the 2023 No. 5 overall pick and a three-time Pro Bowler, has agreed to terms with the Seahawks on a four-year, $132 million extension, making him the highest-paid CB in the league with a $33 million APY, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday.
Schefter added that Witherspoon’s deal includes more than $101 million guaranteed.
Witherspoon’s new deal follows one handed out to Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who received a four-year, $168.6 million extension in March.
Like JSN, Witherspoon has vaulted to the top of the pay scale for his position group, joining the Los Angeles Rams’ Trent McDuffie, the Indianapolis Colts’ Sauce Gardner, and the Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. and the Cleveland Browns’ Denzel Ward as cornerbacks making $30 million or more annually.
Consequently, Witherspoon’s new deal should have a domino effect on the Seahawks’ Super Bowl opponent, the New England Patriots. Fellow 2023 first-rounder Christian Gonzalez is also seeking an extension from the Pats.
Witherspoon’s new pact took a bit longer to work out than Smith-Njigba’s, but Seattle has clearly identified around whom it’s building.