7 Seattle Seahawks players who can outperform their pay grade in 2024

The Seattle Seahawks begin their season in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. What 12s see happen in that game may or may not be the truth about how the rest of the season will go, however. Sometimes, Week 1s are more of an extension of preseason games when teams are still figuring out who they are.

Should Seattle be successful in 2024, though, quite likely the players that follow will be a big part of that. Each might be relatively underpaid for their position group - yes, even the Seahawks quarterback is on this list - and each could exceed their pay grade and earn much higher future contracts.

In fact, if all seven exceed their current deals, Seattle will not only make the playoffs but be a dangerous threat once there. Seattle has a new coaching staff and a bunch of new starters, but there is talent. Sometimes, changing things up can lead to great success.

Seven Seahawks players who could easily outplay their contracts in 2024

Linebacker Tyrel Dodson

• 2024 cap hit: $4,260,000

Dodson was not going to sign anywhere for a lot of money this offseason because he has not been a long-term starter in the league yet. He started 10 games in 2023, but only after several Buffalo Bills linebackers had been injured. Dodson did take full advantage of the opportunity given him to succeed, though, and he proved he could cover receivers well and pressure quarterbacks.

Dodson will be expected to take a big leap this season, however. He will go from mostly being a backup to being a full-time starter and the green dot on Mike Macdonald's defense. That is a lot of faith to put in a player who has not had more than one season of much starting experience.

Still, Dodosn should be a great fit in Macdonald's defense, and a much better fit than 2023 starters Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks were. Those guys could tackle well and might have shown more ability to pressure quarterbacks if they had been in a more aggressive defensive scheme, but neither could cover like Dodson. Dodson also should be a quicker player than Wagner and Brooks.

Dodson's cap hit is outside the top 30 for inside linebackers. He needs to be close to a top-ten linebacker for the defense to be at its best, though. Should he do that, he will get a hefty pay raise in 2025 in free agency or re-signing with the Seahawks.