Russell Wilson (Image: Getty)
Twitter seemed to explode when Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson announced a self-imposed deadline to either agree to a contract extension or stop negotiating with the team entirely. It didn’t help that Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu tweeted that “Russ wants New York.”
By Tuesday morning, the two sides had agreed to a deal that would make Wilson the highest paid quarterback in the NFL and keep the 30-year-old quarterback in Seattle through the 2023 season. The deal is worth $140 million and includes a $65 million signing bonus. It also includes a no-trade clause.
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The deal tops both previous records for annual average value and a singing bonus set by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers last summer. He received $33.5 million each year and a $57.5 million signing bonus.
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Wilson took to Twitter to announce the deal about 45 minutes after the midnight deadline. “Hey Seattle, we got a deal,” Wilson said in the video. “Go Hawks. But I’ma see y’all in the morning. Time for y’all to go to bed.”
The deal took four days of negotiation between the Seahawks and Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers but it appears both sides are satisfied. “At the end of the day, my guy wants to live, work, thrive in Seattle,” Rodgers said after the deal was completed. “Loves this town and its fans. He compromised to stay here. I respect that.”
Wilson is a five-time Pro Bowler and led Seattle to its first and only Super Bowl title after the 2013 season. The Seahawks front office will now focus on locking up All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and the team’s top pass rusher, Frank Clark.
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