Getty The Seattle Seahawks have turned down trade offers for Russell Wilson.
The Seattle Seahawks have two stars “holding in” during training camp, and Russell Wilson has a solution. According to The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta and Adam June, Wilson has offered to restructure his contract to make room for extensions for Duane Brown and Jamal Adams.
“More than a month remains before the first regular-season game Sept. 12 at Indianapolis, but the situation is getting urgent enough that sources said star quarterback Russell Wilson has let the team know he would be willing to restructure his contract to create cap space for Adams and Brown,” The Seattle Times detailed. “Seattle entered the day listed as having $8.3 million in cap space for the 2021 season. And while contracts with Adams and Brown could be structured in ways to create cap space for the 2021 season, restructuring Wilson’s contract — meaning, turn most of his $19 million salary for 2021 into a signing bonus — could give the team added flexibility.”
Wilson has three seasons remaining on his four-year, $140 million contract. The Seahawks quarterback is slated to have a $19 million salary with a $32 million cap hit this season, per Spotrac.
Talks Between Adams & the Seahawks Have Stalled: Report
Brown and Adams reported to training camp but are not participating in practices as they seek new deals. Both players are entering the final year of their contracts. Condotta and June also reported talks between the Seahawks and Adams have “stalled.”
“Contract negotiations between Seahawks general manager John Schneider and representatives for Jamal Adams are at a standstill, sources with knowledge of the situation told The Seattle Times on Tuesday,” The Seattle Times noted. “The two sides last week had come close to an agreement that would make Adams the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Talks then stalled over contract structure and guaranteed money. The two sides have not reengaged in discussions this week, sources said, and both sides appear dug in.”
Wilson on Brown’s Future: ‘We Got to Figure That Out’
The news comes days after Wilson labeled Brown’s hold-in a “pretty significant deal.” Wilson went on to publicly vouch for the reasons why Brown is worthy of a contract extension.
“I mean, not having Duane Brown out there is a pretty significant deal because I think he’s one of the best left tackles in the game,” Wilson told reporters. “There’s no argument, I think he’s as good as it gets. There’s nobody more athletic, more talented than he is. Age is just a number. He easily looks like he’s 28 or 30 out there, you know. He’s really exceptional. So smart, physical, understands the game, and I think people fear him, just to be honest with you, when they’re rushing him, playing against him. So, we definitely want to get him back out there. And, we got to figure that out, because we need Duane Brown.”
The Seahawks Made Adams a New Offer: Report
After an offseason full of discussion about Wilson’s future, the Seahawks training camp has been overshadowed with contract talks. ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported the Seahawks have a new offer on the table for Adams.
“The Seattle Seahawks have made another contract offer to Pro Bowl strong safety Jamal Adams and are awaiting word on whether he will accept it, a source told ESPN on Tuesday,” Henderson noted. “In the meantime, the organization and Adams’ agent have not spoken in several days, a source confirmed.”
Over the offseason, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll admitted the franchise had discussed a restructure with Wilson but felt it was unnecessary. Henderson also reported the Seahawks may be hesitant to take Wilson up on his offer. To be clear, Wilson would not be taking less money, but moving around the financials to future years to help with this season’s cap number.
“However, the Seahawks have long been wary of contract restructures that push cap charges into future years, doing so only twice — including with Wilson in 2017 — since Schneider and Carroll arrived in 2010,” Henderson reported. “Another Wilson restructure would make him more expensive to extend or franchise tag when his current deal expires after the 2023 season. It would add to the already massive amount of dead money Seattle would incur if it traded him before then.”