Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor is currently holding out in hopes of receiving a new contract, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin offered a perfect summary of the situation.
Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes Baldwin called Chancellor’s situation “the price of success.” Baldwin said:
“I know exactly what he’s doing. I support Kam Chancellor as a person. I know what he stands for, I know it’s a difficult time, both for the organization and for him. It’s part of what this team is. It’s the price of success. It’s the talent here — so many guys that want to get paid that need to get paid. It’s the price of success. I’m always optimistic.”
Baldwin absolutely nailed the point. The Seahawks have drafted remarkably well in the last half-decade, and a handful of star players are reaching the end of their rookie contracts.
Now, Chancellor signed an extension deal in April 2013, but the 27-year-old has outplayed the value of that contract—which is $28 million, per Spotrac. He’s racked up 375 tackles, 29 pass defenses, eight interceptions and five forced fumbles since 2011.
Chancellor and the Seahawks have approximately two weeks before the 2015 season begins, and the vaunted Legion of Boom wouldn’t be the same without the hard-hitting safety.
Seattle certainly isn’t required to comply with Chancellor’s demands, but if the sixth-year player is actually prepared to miss action in the regular season, the negotiations will only become more fascinating.