The Seattle Seahawks revealed some much-needed news just hours before the team’s first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. Seattle has signed star cornerback Devon Witherspoon to a four-year, $132 million contract extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The move makes Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
“ESPN sources: three-time Pro-Bowl CB Devon Witherspoon and the Seahawks reached agreement on a four-year, $132 million extension and includes over $101 million guaranteed that now makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history,” Schefter detailed on August 15, 2026.
The Seahawks take on the Cowboys in both teams’ first preseason matchup on Saturday, August 15.
Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon Opted Against Holding Out During Training Camp
There had been rumblings that Witherspoon and the Seahawks were close to a new deal heading into training camp. The latest news means Witherspoon’s future is no longer a talking point ahead of the NFL season.
Prior to the news, Witherspoon revealed why the star opted against holding out during training camp practices.
“We’ve got a long season ahead of us, man, contract or not,” Witherspoon noted, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. “We’ve still got to play football at the end of the day, and we’ve got to be out there and be prepared.
“If you’re not practicing, you’re not getting ready for the season because everybody else in the league is practicing and they’re getting better,” Witherspoon added.
“That’s where my mind is at right now. I’m focusing on what I need to do right now. I’m not really worried about anything else.”
Witherspoon was heading into the final season of a four-year, $31 million rookie contract. Seattle previously picked up Witherspoon’s fifth-year option giving the franchise control over the star’s future through 2027 before ultimately agreeing to a new deal.
Seahawks News: Seattle Signed CB Terrion Arnold as Insurance for Secondary Amid Legal Woes
It has been a busy week of transactions for the Seahawks. The franchise also agreed to terms with former Detroit Lions starting cornerback Terrion Arnold.
Seattle made the move following his release by the Lions as the defender faces eight felony charges. The NFL could put Arnold on the commissioner’s exempt list which would suspend the corner indefinitely.
“It’s overwhelmingly positive. It really is,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said regarding the people vouching for Arnold’s character, per Associated Press. “And, again, it’s a serious situation, that there’s allegations there that are serious.
“But, if you separate that from the person that they talk about on a daily basis and their history with him, it’s been really overwhelmingly positive.”
The Seahawks Have Now Signed Devon Witherspoon & Jaxon Smith-Njigba to Lucrative Contract Extensions Following Super Bowl
Seattle’s aggressive move to sign Witherspoon to a lucrative extension puts pressure on other NFL teams who are currently in standoffs with stars pushing for new deals. The Seahawks have now signed their two stars from the 2023 NFL draft to contract extensions.
Seattle announced a new deal for star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba during the NFL offseason.
“A nice compromise here—Devon Witherspoon gets an uptick on the market, at $33 million APY, not a market reset,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer explained in an August 15, message on X.
“But if that nine-figure guarantee is real, then that’s a big win for the player.”
Seahawks Dealt Much-Needed Major News Hours Before Cowboys Game