Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider is taking a different approach this offseason. The team didn't use to aggressively try to lock up players with a year left on their contracts. That isn't the case in 2026.
Schneider extended wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for four years and as much as $168.6 million. JSN will now be in Seattle through at least 2031, so 12s should get used to him being WR1 for much of the next decade. By the time he is done, he could be chasing Steve Largent for franchise receiving records.
Seattle then extended edge rusher Derick Hall for three years and a maximum of $42 million. The next move after Hall seems clear: John Schneider will try to lock up cornerback Devon Witherspoon. The question is for how much?
After extending Derick Hall, the Seattle Seahawks are likely to extend Devon Witherspoon
JSN's deal set a new annual season record for receivers. Witherspoon's agent might want to do the same for cornerbacks. That number is currently held by Trent McDuffie of the Los Angeles Rams, who gets paid an average of $31 million a season.
Schneider knows that, and Witherspoon knows that. Is Devon Witherspoon the best cornerback in the NFL? Maybe not, but he is at the top of his class. He is also a perfect fit in head coach Mike Macdonald's system, and that is what matters most.
Witherspoon is unique. In his three seasons, he has allowed 10 touchdown passes but has only intercepted two passes. He has broken up 24 more. His yards per catch allowed is only 9.8, though. His quarterback rating allowed has been north of 100 (which isn't great) for the last two years, but he is elite against the run. He also has 4.5 sacks.
That's the magic of Witherspoon. He is so disruptive from his slot corner position that he causes the opposing offense to guess where he will be and account for him. In the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, quarterback Drake Maye was unsure what to do with Witherspoon, as the cornerback had a sack and three quarterback hits.
Few players, if any, as well as Devon Witherspoon, can execute Mike Macdonald's game plan. The cornerback's presence helps free up other players to be more creative and help disguise pre-snap alignments. No doubt exists that having Witherspoon available makes everyone else better, and he will likely get paid in kind quite soon.
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