Seahawks can’t be happy with Matt Ryan deal. Russell Wilson will get paid.

Seahawks know it’s time to talk money

Which brings us to contracts and contract negotiations. The Seahawks haven’t been in a rush to negotiate with Wilson so far. There’s one key difference between the situations in Seattle and Atlanta. Matt Ryan was in the final year of his contract, and would have been a free agent after the 2018 season. Wilson’s contract runs through 2019. He’s made it clear he’d like to have a contract extension in place soon.

I understand why he’d like to get a deal done soon. The sooner he gets an extension, the soon he gets a new giant guarantee. The guaranteed money has soared with each of the last three new mega-contracts. Drew Brees is the only player who got less than $70 million guaranteed this year. And that’s only because he’s older than New Orleans itself. The city, not the team. Still, he sure plays like he’s 29, not 39.

That’s the decision facing the Seahawks. If they want to sign their version of Drew Brees, the all-time franchise best, it’s going to cost them. A lot. If Matt Ryan is worth $30 million a year, what’s Wilson worth? $33 $35? Could the total value hit $200 million? How much will be guaranteed? The biggest decision of all: could they still field a contending team with so much money tied up in one player?

Wilson has a tough choice as well. Does he push for an extension before the 2018 season, so he has a huge guarantee in place before he takes a single hit? Or does he play the waiting game, as clearly the contracts just keep getting bigger and bigger.

One thing he’s certainly waiting on is the next contract for Aaron Rodgers. For what happens next with Wilson, keep an eye on the Rodgers contract situation. I guarantee you, the Seahawks are keeping a very close watch on Green Bay.