The Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson have yet to even come close to terms on a contract extension that would keep him in the Pacific Northwest past the 2015 NFL season.
But in the event that nothing is settled between the two parties until next year, Wilson said is prepared to play without a new contract in place, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
“Yeah, I’m prepared for that 100 percent, if that’s the case. You know, I want to be here for a long time, but if that’s the case I’ve just got to get ready to play. I love the game, and I love being out here with these guys and just playing, and so ultimately I just take it one day at a time and just see where it takes me.”
The longer the Seahawks wait while other young quarterbacks sign their generous paydays, the chances of Wilson landing a contract more to the figure of of his liking—around $100 million—increases. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton just inked a five-year, $103.8 million deal, and Ryan Tannehill recently signed a six-year, $96 million contract extension.
Wilson is currently working under his rookie deal and slated to earn $1.542 million in 2015, per Spotrac. This is chump change for a quarterback who has helped lead his team to three consecutive playoff appearances, back-to-back Super Bowl appearances and one championship.
Eventually, a deal should get done, and Wilson sporting a positive attitude by showing up at his team’s OTA’s is the exact path he should be following to reach the desired result.
In the meantime, the Seahawks are backpedaling from previous reports that they were planning to make Wilson the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
Wilson concluded with these comments regarding the status of his extension:
“Ultimately I believe it will work out, hope that it does. I just take one day at a time. It’s a private matter. I don’t really talk about that kind of stuff. I’m here to play football and he’s there (his agent) to work out deals and figure out things. My focus is on football and trying to win football games for us.”
If, for some unforeseen, reason a deal cannot be struck by next season, there would be a plenty of teams who could offer top dollar to obtain the elite 26-year-old quarterback who has many years of quality football remaining in his bright future.
Photo: USA Today Sports