Seahawks have an underpaid star fans know must be paid

Coming off a Super Bowl where he was an integral part of a defense that dominated the NFL, Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams is firmly entrenched as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league.

Williams was tied for second in pressures (69), fourth in sacks (9), and fourth in quarterback hits (17).

Williams was a huge part of the Seahawks' success. And he's currently the 13th-highest-paid player at his position entering the final year of his current contract, according to Over the Cap. Williams is due $16,650,000 in cash in 2026. That's less than Zach Seiler, Osa Odighizua, Kenny Clark, and Daron Payne. He is, by every measure of the word, underpaid.

Seattle Seahawks' Leonard Williams compares favorably to Cam Heyward

Players of Williams' caliber, coming off of seasons he just had, use this leverage to secure extensions and/or raises. And Williams should follow suit.

Cam Heyward just inked a contract in that very vein. He was due $14,250,000 in cash from the Steelers. They offered him an additional year with a $2 million raise this year while guaranteeing the entirety of his salary in 2026. Should Heyward continue to play in 2027 he will be due $16 million.

Here is how Williams' 2025 compares to Heyward's, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

It should be noted that Williams is also five years younger than Heyward. That, combined with him outperforming the Steelers defensive lineman in just about every area above, makes the case for Williams to get a bigger bump self-evident.

Ironically enough, it's a previous Heyward deal that might be instructive on Williams' current value. In 2020, Heyward signed a four-year, $65.6 million extension at the age of 31. Here is how Williams' 2025 matches up with Heyward's 2019.

The two are close, with Heyward's 2019 performance, and his contract by extension, perhaps acting as a ceiling of sorts. His $16.4 million APY was 8.27% of that year's salary cap. Adjusting that for 2026's $301.2 million cap puts Williams' ceiling at $25 million.

This offseason showed that teams are desperate for interior defensive line help. Multiple players at the position got significant money, and some got multiple years, despite declining play. Sebastian Joseph-Day got two years at 31 years old. David Onyemata got $10.5 million at 33. Javon Hargrave got two years at $11.5 million per annum at 33 as well.

Williams, being 32 and playing at a much higher level, wouldn't rule out a three-year extension. But I wouldn't be surprised if he and the Seahawks settle for a single-year extension at a fully guaranteed $24.35 million.

It would put the total deal, including his existing year, at two years and $41 million. Seattle could even the cash flows at $20.5 million, giving Williams a $3.85 million raise this year and putting him in the top 10 in cash at the position in 2026.

This would also help Seattle reduce Williams' salary cap hit in 2026, which is currently set to be $29,636,250. His current contract has two void years for 2027 and 2028. The extension would replace the 2027 void with a live year, and Seattle could prorate almost all of the new cash flow.

His cap hit this year would come down to $20,686,250. 2027's cap hit would be $37,986,250 with the dead cap in 2028 rising from the current $4,686,250 to $11,086,250.

$3.85 million of his $20.5 million salary in 2027 would also be guaranteed. This would represent a modest, but well-earned increase in pay this year while simultaneously giving him some salary guarantee next year. It's a win-win for both sides.

It's also what smart organizations do to avoid prolonged disputes with star players and keep the focus for Seattle on defending their Super Bowl title.