Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is apparently keeping that title for some time yet to come.
In a video posted to his Twitter account at 12:44 a.m. PDT, Wilson said from his bed that he has a new deal with the Seahawks.
“Hey Seattle, we got a deal,” Wilson said.
Wilson and his wife, Ciara, then both added a “Go Hawks!” before Wilson implored everyone to go to bed.
“I’m going to see y’all in the morning. Time for y’all to go to bed,” Wilson said.
Wilson and his agent, Mark Rodgers, had imposed a deadline on April 15th as the final time they would address a new contract with the Seahawks ahead of the final year of his existing contract. That deadline apparently was enough to spark action to a deal getting finalized either late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that the deal is worth $140 million in new money with a $65 million signing bonus. The contract makes Wilson the highest-paid player in the NFL, surpassing Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, the deal is a four-year extension that will make the total contract a five-year deal worth $157 million through the 2023 season. That combines the $140 million of the new deal and the $17 million Wilson was set to make in 2019 in the final year of his existing contract.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports Wilson will receive $107 million guaranteed and his contract contains a no-trade clause.