The Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson are not close to a contract extension, as the quarterback wants to be one of the highest paid players in the league and if the sides can't work something out, a trade could happen in 2016 and this comes as Michael Bennett may hold out for training camp to get a new deal.
Wilson and the Seahawks have been talking about an extension all season, but so far the sides have not been able to agree on a deal. Wilson is entering the final year of his contract and reports have him looking to be among the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL. The fact that Wilson has been so successful in such a short span has led many in the media to speculate about his future, including potential money in his next contract or the possibility of a trade as the outcome of talks with the Seahawks.
Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk wrote about Wilson's situation and he speculated that a trade could be possible if the sides can't work out a new contract. Florio threw out all the possibilities for Wilson, including the Seahawks giving him an extension, using the exclusive franchise tag and also the non-exclusive franchise tag. Florio added that his "current prediction" is that Wilson will eventually move on from the Seahawks if they don't meet his price.
While this outcome is an extreme one based on what Wilson has done for the team, the Seahawks may feel that is the right move if they don't want to pay Wilson that much money. Wilson is making $1.542 million this season and he will be set to be a free agent next year if the team doesn't sign him to an extension. According to Jason Cole at Bleacher Report, Wilson wants to be the highest paid player in the NFL after making it to two straight Super Bowls and he is looking for a deal over $20 million per season.
The Seahawks and Michael Bennett could be headed for a contract showdown, as Bennett has been asking for a new deal this offseason and could holdout. According to Pro Football Talk, Bennett spoke about his situation in an interview with KHON in Honolulu, saying that he wouldn't "mind staying home for a little while." Bennett was mentioned in trade rumors this offseason and he told the Seattle Times that he wants a new deal. Bennett showed up for minicamp but he could be fined if he holds out for training camp.
Usually franchises find a way to agree with their star players when it comes to contract extensions, but here the team may feel that the price doesn't meet what they want to do with the player. This outcome is highly unlikely since the Seahawks likely will work things out with Wilson, but there is always a chance they pull off a deal over meeting his price. Wilson has led the Seahawks to the playoffs for three straight season and he has one Super Bowl championship under his belt already.