Veteran defensive end Chris Clemons unexpectedly held out of the Seahawks’ mandatory minicamp. Come 2013, he could be walking out of Seattle.
Len Pasquarelli of the Sports Xchange reports that Clemons has decided not to sign an extension with the Seahawks, opting instead to become a free agent in 2013.
Per Pasquarelli, the team offered to convert his current deal, which pays a base salary of $4 million in 2012, into a three-year contract with $8 million in 2012, $4.5 million in 2013, and $5.5 million in 2014. Clemons declined.
Clemons has opted not to participate in the team’s offseason program, giving up a $100,000 workout bonus and, due to his decision to boycott the mandatory minicamp, exposing himself to $63,000 in fines.
Of course, there’s no guarantee he’ll become an unrestricted free agent in 2013. If the Seahawks choose to use the franchise tag, he won’t hit the market -- but he will be in line for a one-year deal worth at least $10 million.
It’s unlikely that Clemons would balk at that kind of payday, given that he’s 30 years old and never has landed a major payday.
Perhaps he will. He has started all 32 games during his two years in Seattle, after starting only three total regular-season games during his prior six NFL seasons. He also has notched 11 sacks in 2010 and another 11 in 2012, exceeding the 20 career sacks from his six pre-Seattle seasons.