Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has yet again been interviewed. And he has yet again avoided questions about his contract with the team.
But Wilson has finally floated a figure, during an interview with ESPN’s Marty Smith.
Said Smith, “Nobody’s won more than you in the last several years. We’ve seen what some of your peers have gotten on the market recently. Based on the current market for the quarterback and based on your resume, what do you deserve?”
Wilson opted to be coy. “I don’t know, how much would you pay me, Marty?” Wilson said with a laugh.
“I mean, you have a Super Bowl and you took ’em to another Super Bowl,” Smith said.
“I think ultimately it comes down to the play,” Wilson said. “Just let my play speak for itself, and let the rest take care of itself. Continue to love the game for what it is, continue to fight, continue to play. No matter how much I’m getting paid, whether it’s $25 million or $1.5 million. I’ll be ready to go.”
The second number is what Wilson is due to make this year. The first number could be what Wilson is aiming to get, a possible slip of the tongue. (Or maybe he was simply thinking about the jersey number worn by teammate Richard Sherman.)
Wilson also called his relationship with the Seahawks “great” and “I don’t think it’s a bad relationship by any means.” He also reiterated his desire to stay in Seattle.
That’s fine, but at some point the desire to stay in Seattle and the desire to get paid will conflict, especially if he’s serious about making $25 million per year — which is $3 million more per year than the current high-water mark in the NFL set two years ago by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.