The Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson have been taking about a contract extension this offseason, but so far the sides are not close on agreeing to a deal and with OTAs starting up for offseason workouts, players like Tyler Lockett and Frank Clark may push to start as rookies and this comes as Bruce Irvin and Michael Bennett are dealing with contract issues and could be trade targets.
Wilson is coming into the final year of his contract and with Ryan Tannehill getting a contract extension, the Seahawks and the quarterback now have a number they can look at as a comparison. According to ESPN.com, the two sides are not close right now in talks and Jason Cole at Bleacher Report writes that it's "highly unlikely" that the team will extend Wilson this year. The two sides appeared to be close to a deal earlier in the offseason, but 710 ESPN later came out to refute that development.
According to Cole, Wilson is looking for at least $20 million per season and that is a major raise from what he is getting now. The Seahawks have been lucky to have Wilson in on small cap numbers, as he was a third round pick in 2012. Wilson now wants to get paid based on how he has played, as he has brought the team to two Super Bowl appearances and one championship win. Wilson doesn't put up numbers like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but he is an efficient player and over the past two years he has been at 63 percent in his completion rate and has just 16 picks over that time with 46 touchdowns.
ESPN 710 in Seattle reported last week that Wilson and the Seahawks are "10s of millions" apart and that the Seahawks are unwilling to go to $20 million per year. The team reportedly offered Wilson $80 million over four years as an extension, but he is looking for something more in the $120 million range with more years. Wilson can get his money through the franchise tag next year and the following season, but that does not give him long term security.
The Seahawks obviously want to keep Wilson, but with Jimmy Graham, Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch and others all getting paid, there may not be room for a deal like that. According to Pro Football Talk, both Bruce Irvin and Michael Bennett are looking for more money and if they are not happy with their contracts, they could come up in trade rumors. Bennett came out to say he is not seeking a trade, but he wants more money moving forward.