Getty Seahawks general manager John Schneider (left) and head coach Pete Carroll appear to have won the Russell Wilson trade.
Seattle Seahawks two-time Pro Bowl kicker Jason Myers just earned a sizable raise as the veteran signed a four-year, $21.1 million contract extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move makes Myers the second-highest paid kicker in the NFL, an honor earned by making 91.9% of his field goals last season.
“Seattle Seahawks gave a new four-year, $21.1 million deal worth up to $22.6 million with incentives to kicker Jason Myers, whose contract was set to expire in March, per source. Myers tied to the team through the 2026 season,” Schefter said in a series of January 18, 2023 tweets. “The deal makes Pro-Bowl kicker Jason Myers the second-highest paid kicker in the NFL behind Baltimore’s Justin Tucker.”
The playoffs have shown that a reliable kicker can make a difference during a potential Super Bowl run. The Cowboys are searching for answers after starting kicker Brett Maher missed four straight extra points against the Buccaneers during the Wild Card round.
Schneider on Myers: ‘The First Step in Our Offseason’
Memories that’ll be remembered forever. 🥹
Congratulations, @JayMy_31!
Myers re-signing marks the first major roster move of 2023 with general manager John Schneider labeling it the “first step in our offseason.” Other key Seahawks free agents include Geno Smith, Ryan Neal, Rashaad Penny, Poona Ford and Austin Blythe. The veteran’s four-year, $15.4 million contract expired this offseason.
“It’s just the first step in our offseason,” Schneider noted in a statement released by the team. “We identified Jason, especially having the year he had, as somebody we wanted to get done as quickly as we possibly could. He’s a huge piece of our championship culture, and he was eager, as were we, to consummate a deal… It’s a first step for us for 2023.”
Could Smith Be the Seahawks’ Next Signing?
The Seahawks have a projected $34.5 million in cap space this offseason, per Spotrac, which means more moves will be on the way in the coming months. NFL teams can begin negotiating with free agents on March 13, but franchises are able to re-sign their own players, like Myers, prior to free agency officially kicking off.
It will be interesting to see if Seattle is able to sign Smith to a new long-term deal before free agency begins. The Seahawks have until March 7 to use the franchise tag on Smith or another player, and this move could serve as a placeholder until a new contract is agreed upon.
Heading into the offseason, the Seahawks and Smith both emphasized their desire to get a new deal done. Despite publicly praising Smith, Seattle will have additional options if the Pro Bowl quarterback’s price gets too high.
A cheaper path would be for Seattle to use one of their four picks in the first two rounds (potentially No. 5) to draft a quarterback. Seattle could also use the franchise tag then let Smith sign with another team in order to land first-round pick compensation.
“The non-exclusive franchise tag for quarterbacks is projected to be worth $32.4 million,” The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar wrote on January 15. “That tag, which can be applied between Feb. 21 and March 7, would give Smith a one-year tender with the opportunity to negotiate an extension until July 15. Until he signs the tender, Smith could negotiate with other teams, but Seattle could match any contract offer and receive two first-round picks if it declined.
“The Seahawks could also tag and then trade Smith, a method the team used in 2019 with defensive end Frank Clark.”