Russell Wilson is preparing to become the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, it has just yet to be determined what that will actually mean. Wilson has been the biggest value of any player given he has been to two Super Bowls while winning one on a contract that paid him just over a million dollars. As he prepares to enter the final year of that deal, Wilson will make $1.5 million in 2015 and the Seahawks are trying to give him a nice pay raise.
A new contract for Wilson is expected this offseason, but nothing has been agreed upon just yet. Seahawks general manager John Schneider told the media that negotiations are ongoing as they try and figure out the best way to compensate Wilson for all that he has done since getting drafted.
"Russell is a guy that wants to win championships for a long time,'' Schneider said, via ESPN.com. "He has a good understanding of the business. That being said, we are basically in what we call Phase 2 of free agency. His people are aware that we want to help out our club as much as we can. But we have to be very careful how we step with our [salary] cap moving forward. We know those guys are such instrumental pieces."
There have been plenty of rumors regarding the type of contract Wilson will earn. Many believe the quarterback could get something like an all-guaranteed contract. The salary is guaranteed to top $100 million, but the with contracts already given to players like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, the Seahawks must figure out a way to best handle the salary cap. Linebacker Bobby Wagner and tackle Russell Okung are also looking for new deals, so the Seahawks are simply taking their time when it comes to Wilson's contract.
Many teams are waiting to see what kind of contract Wilson earns. His deal could easily set the market for what players like Andrew Luck and Ryan Tannehill earn. The Indianapolis Colts are currently working on an extension for Luck, but owner Jim Irsay says that the quarterback will not sign something until next offseason. Could the team be waiting for the market to reset like Cam Newton is doing with the Carolina Panthers?
"Not right now," Irsay said, via the Indianapolis Star. "I think that'll be a focus of next offseason that we'll address. Andrew still has two years left, and whatever our talks are between Andrew and his people will remain confidential. It's not like we don't have conversations about a possibility, so to speak, of something. But I really think most likely the scenario is most likely going to be going into the offseason next year is when that second contract will come up. That's the vision I have right now."