4 grossly underpaid Seattle Seahawks players in 2024
By Lee Vowell
Devon Witherspoon - Seahawks cornerback
2024 salary-cap hit: $7,241,171
Witherspoon is only entering his second season in the NFL, of course, and he won't be due to hit free agency until probably after the 2027 season. That is assuming Seattle picks up his fifth-year option that season. After Witherspoon made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, had 3 sacks, a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown, and was graded as Pro Football Focus's sixth-best cornerback, 12s can safely assume Witherspoon is going to be a very good player for the Seahawks for many years to come.
Witherspoon's contract was slotted as all rookie deals are now in the NFL. He is paid a bit higher than most since he went fifth overall in the 2023 NFL draft. In comparison to other top corners, though, his current deal is jarringly low. Based on the average year of the top contracts among corners, Witherspoon's 2024 pay ranks 26th in the league.
A couple of things are obvious, however. One is that Witherspoon is better than the 26th-best corner in the league. He is probably already in the top ten because he is versatile and disruptive and should be even more productive beginning in 2024.
The other obvious point is that beginning in 2028 - again, assuming Seattle picks up his fifth-year option - Witherspoon is going to get paid a lot more money. Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers currently has the highest average-year pay for a cornerback, and that number is $21 million. With Witherspoon, his new deal is four years into the future. He could be making $30 million a season in 2028.