RUSSELL WILSON HAS set a deadline for later this week to work out a long-term contract with the Seattle Seahawks, and now we have more evidence that Wilson is seeking to become the highest-paid player in the NFL.
In the NFL, only four players have a contract with an average annual value greater than $20.5 million:
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers — $22.0m (five years, $110m)
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers — $21.85m (four years, $87.4m)
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers — $20.76m (five years, $103.8m)
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons — $20.75m (five years, $103.75m)
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Presumably, the Seahawks’ most recent offer to Wilson falls somewhere in the neighborhood of Newton and Ryan, but almost certainly in the top five ahead of Joe Flacco, whose deal has an average annual value of $20.1 million.
But this is the NFL, and contracts are never this simple. Just as important as, and possibly more important than, the average annual value is the amount of guaranteed money and the amount of money the player receives up-front. The latter is typically the only “fully guaranteed” portion of an NFL contract, with the rest of the guarantees coming into play only in the event of an injury.
While Florio’s report says there is “significant guaranteed money” in the offer, according to Rapoport, the Seahawks’ offer to Wilson includes “below $20m cash up-front,” with the rest being injury guarantees.
That is well below the $31m that Newton received up front or the $30m that Ryan received up front in fullyguaranteed money in the form of first-year salary and bonuses. Rather, the offer appears to be much closer to the $18.1m in up-front cash the Bengals gave Andy Dalton in his six-year, $96m deal.
That is nothing to scoff at, but Russell Wilson is not Andy Dalton.
Wilson and musician Ciara arrive at the ESPY Awards. AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
Peter King of Sports Illustrated takes it a step further and points out that Rodgers signed his deal in 2013, when the NFL salary cap was $123m and his salary represented 17.9% of the cap. The cap is now $143.3m, and an equivalent percentage would be a salary of $25.6m, suggesting Wilson is being lowballed with a $21m offer.
Wilson has said he wants a deal in place before the start of training camp, which is later this week, or he will play the 2015 season under his current $1.5m salary. Based on what the Seahawks’ most recent offer appears to be, it doesn’t look as if a deal will get done.
Russell Wilson turned down $21 million a year, and it suggests he wants a game-changing deal
RUSSELL WILSON HAS set a deadline for later this week to work out a long-term contract with the Seattle Seahawks, and now we have more evidence that Wilson is seeking to become the highest-paid player in the NFL.
Wilson has turned down an offer worth “nearly $21 million per year,” according to what Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has heard through the grapevine. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network appeared to confirm the nature of the offer when he called Florio’s number “essentially accurate.”
In the NFL, only four players have a contract with an average annual value greater than $20.5 million:
Presumably, the Seahawks’ most recent offer to Wilson falls somewhere in the neighborhood of Newton and Ryan, but almost certainly in the top five ahead of Joe Flacco, whose deal has an average annual value of $20.1 million.
But this is the NFL, and contracts are never this simple. Just as important as, and possibly more important than, the average annual value is the amount of guaranteed money and the amount of money the player receives up-front. The latter is typically the only “fully guaranteed” portion of an NFL contract, with the rest of the guarantees coming into play only in the event of an injury.
While Florio’s report says there is “significant guaranteed money” in the offer, according to Rapoport, the Seahawks’ offer to Wilson includes “below $20m cash up-front,” with the rest being injury guarantees.
That is well below the $31m that Newton received up front or the $30m that Ryan received up front in fully guaranteed money in the form of first-year salary and bonuses. Rather, the offer appears to be much closer to the $18.1m in up-front cash the Bengals gave Andy Dalton in his six-year, $96m deal.
That is nothing to scoff at, but Russell Wilson is not Andy Dalton.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated takes it a step further and points out that Rodgers signed his deal in 2013, when the NFL salary cap was $123m and his salary represented 17.9% of the cap. The cap is now $143.3m, and an equivalent percentage would be a salary of $25.6m, suggesting Wilson is being lowballed with a $21m offer.
Wilson has said he wants a deal in place before the start of training camp, which is later this week, or he will play the 2015 season under his current $1.5m salary. Based on what the Seahawks’ most recent offer appears to be, it doesn’t look as if a deal will get done.
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