Whether Russell Wilson will be successful in his contract negotiations with the Seattle Seahawks depends on what his end game is.
ESPN is reporting that the Seahawks starting quarterback will suspend negotiations with the club if he does not reach an agreement with the team by the time its training camp starts on Friday.
Russell Wilson's refusal to sign a deal now could cost him money for the next three years
Without a new deal, Wilson will play the 2015 season with a salary of $1.54 million, ESPN reports. The Seahawks reportedly have offered a deal in the four-year range worth $21 million annually and about $20 million in guaranteed salary.
When Wilson started the negotiation process, reports speculated that he wanted to become the league's highest-paid quarterback, partly based on the hope that the Seahawks would acquiesce to the value Wilson and his rookie contract had in making the franchise a Super Bowl contender.
NFL owners to blame for impasse in Russell Wilson's contract negotiations?
Recent reports have indicated that Wilson no longer is interested in making the most money, he just wants the majority of his deal guaranteed. Rolling Stone, citing a Sports Illustrated article, reported that Wilson and agent Mark Rodgers are trying to alter the nature of pro football contracts in relationship to guaranteed money.
For that to happen, Wilson will have to be prepared to walk away from the Seahawks' current offer. He's never had a $20 million salary, so he doesn't know what it's like to make that much, which could help his resolve.
But the Seahawks understand that they are still in their window of opportunity to win a championship. With Wilson making $1.54 million this year, the team has the flexibility to make moves to put them in position to reach their third straight Super Bowl.
The New England Patriots aside, the NFL is a league of parity, and the Seahawks may believe that giving their quarterback a hefty new contract will destroy their ability to compete in 2015 and beyond.
Interestingly, part of the Patriots' longevity stems from Brady willing to take less money so that the team has more cap space around him from which to build. If course, when Brady is married to a super model that makes more money than he does, it's easier to be altruistic.
If Wilson wants to change the manner in which NFL contracts are guaranteed, walking away from the Seahawks' current offer might be his only path. He may end up leaving Seattle and could lead another team to the Super Bowl, which would help his cause.
But if Wilson is trying to secure the best deal he can, he may need to blink before the Seahawks do in their showdown.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
