Seahawks

Contract Talks Between Seahawks & Russell Wilson Likely To End At Start Of Camp

July 16, 2015

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that contract talks between the Seahawks and QB Russell Wilson will come to a halt at the start of training camp.

At that point in time, Wilson will focus strictly on football and the team as they prepare for the 2015 season.

Rapoport points out that Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, has history of cutting off talks for good and in turn increasing the likelihood that his client will test the open market.

According to Rapoport, the two parties have been discussing a potential extension since the Super Bowl ended. However, Wilson is reportedly looking to become the highest paid player in the NFL, which complicates the situation for Seattle, as they’re trying to ensure that they’re also able to retain other key contributors.

A source who has spoken with Wilson tells Rapoport, that Wilson doesn’t necessarily want to become a free agent, but wants to be paid as though he was.

The two sides aren’t any closer to an agreement, according to Rapoport, and the idea of a fully guaranteed contract hasn’t left his Wilson’s mind.

Rapoport still expects contract talks to pick up in the coming weeks as training camp draws near. However, it appears as though Wilson is headed for the exclusive franchise tag in 2016, which will pay him more than $25 million.

Wilson reiterated at the ESPYs Wednesday night that he loves playing Seattle while adding “we’ll see what happens” in regards to a long-term extension with the team.

“I love Seattle, it’s a great city,” Wilson said, via ESPN.com. “I’m going to play my butt off every day. That’s all I know, and we’ll see what happens.”

Wilson, 26, still has one year remaining on his four-year, $2.198 million rookie contract, which includes a base salary of $798,651 for the 2015 season.

In 2014, Wilson threw for 3,475 yards while completing 63.1 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 849 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns over the course of 16 games.