The Estate of Paul G. Allen announced on July 11 that it has agreed to sell the Seattle Seahawks to the Khosla family. Vinod Khosla, a limited partner with the San Francisco 49ers, is leading the ownership group.
Moreover, the transaction will set a new benchmark for NFL franchise sales. ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Adam Schefter reported, citing league sources familiar with the negotiations, that the deal is valued at $9.612 billion, making it the most expensive sale of an NFL team to date.
“We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks,” said Vinod Khosla on behalf of the Khosla family. “We look forward to building on the winning legacy Paul Allen created and to earning the trust of the Seahawks organization and fans everywhere.”
With the Khosla family ready to start their era, Wynston Wilcox of FanSided listed three items on the agenda that the new Seahawks ownership must have, one of which is securing a contract extension for Devon Witherspoon.
“I know this doesn’t necessarily mean anything for them this season, but they do need to make Devon Witherspoon a priority,” Wilcox wrote in a July 12 article.
“Keeping him beyond his rookie contract hasn’t felt like a top choice for the Seahawks, but the truth is, their defense took some hits this past offseason and Witherspoon could very well have a key role in whether the Seahawks’ defense is good enough to deliver a second-straight championship.”
Seahawks Cannot Afford to Lose Devon Witherspoon
Last season, Witherspoon played 720 snaps for the Seahawks. Moreover, he recorded an overall PFF defensive grade of 89.9 while intercepting one pass, breaking four passes in coverage, and recording 54 solo tackles in run support and open-field situations.
Although the Seahawks haven’t been able to reach a contract extension, new ownership cannot afford to lose Witherspoon as one of their first major decisions, especially if the player has a standout season.
“This season, he’ll be the big name in the secondary. If he returns to his rookie season form, the Seahawks can’t let him walk. The Allens were hesitant to give him a long-term deal beyond his fifth-year option.
“The Khosla family has to see how important he is and realize he’s not just important to this team, but the impression the Khosla family will have on their new fanbase.”
Seattle Receive Blunt Devon Witherspoon Message
As for what the Seahawks should be looking to pay the 25-year-old player, Dave Wyman of Seattle Sports believes that general manager John Schneider should be willing to make Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in the league.
“If you watch him play, I remember two years ago, he danced his way around a block,” Wyman said in a June 27 video on the Seattle Sports’ YouTube channel. “The receiver could not block him because he is always a moving target. And he ends up making a tackle for a loss on some kind of speed option.
“You see him make all kinds of big hits that you would not think he would make because he is only 180 pounds. And then you see him time blitzes and he just gets the game. So I just think that they would be crazy not to. I think he is the best corner in the league, and I think the Seahawks should pay him that way, and I do not think he should take any kind of hometown discount.”
Seahawks’ New Ownership Gets Blunt Devon Witherspoon Take