Seahawks Weighing Options for Devon Witherspoon Contract Extension

Salary cap expert breaks down potential extension scenarios for star cornerback

Mar. 30, 2026 at 10:25pm

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A fractured, multi-angled painting depicting a Seahawks defensive play, with sharp geometric shapes and planes representing the movement and action on the field, without any identifiable players or logos.A cubist interpretation of a key defensive play by Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, highlighting his shutdown abilities through a fragmented, geometric visual style.Seattle Today

The Seattle Seahawks have a major decision to make on whether and how to extend the contract of star cornerback Devon Witherspoon. With the recent extension of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the focus has shifted to Witherspoon as the next potential core piece to lock up long-term. Salary cap expert Curtis Allen analyzes potential extension structures and timelines for Witherspoon, comparing them to the Seahawks' recent deal with Smith-Njigba.

Why it matters

Witherspoon emerged as a shutdown cornerback in his rookie season and is seen as a foundational piece of the Seahawks' defense moving forward. Extending him early could provide long-term stability and cap flexibility, but the team must weigh the rising cornerback market against their overall roster needs and salary cap constraints.

The details

Allen suggests two potential extension scenarios for Witherspoon - a 4-year, $124 million deal similar to the contract the Rams gave Trent McDuffie, or a 3-year, $100 million deal that would keep Witherspoon under contract through 2030. Both options would provide cap relief in the short term while locking up the star cornerback through his prime years. The Seahawks must also consider the timing of the extension, as the cornerback market may continue to rise with upcoming deals for players like Christian Gonzalez.

  • Jaxon Smith-Njigba's contract extension was signed in March 2026.
  • Devon Witherspoon is currently in the 4th year of his rookie contract, with a $10 million cap hit in 2026.

The players

Devon Witherspoon

A star cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, drafted in the 1st round in 2023 and emerging as a shutdown defender in his rookie season.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

A wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, recently signed to a contract extension to lock him in as a core offensive weapon.

Curtis Allen

A salary cap expert and contributor to Seahawksdraftblog.com, providing analysis on the Seahawks' contract decisions and roster-building strategies.

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What they’re saying

“I don't know if they'll go four years with with Witherspoon, whether he'll want to go four years or not, but it's the same. It's a very similar structuring. And if you look again at 2026, it's not a big hit on the cap this year. As a top five pick, he already has a pretty good salary for his fourth year. So, I think his cap hit is 10 million right now. So, just a couple smillion dollars more on the cap.”

— Curtis Allen, Salary Cap Expert

“In the cornerback market, there's just not as much top-line contracts coming up. I mean, the next biggest one is Christian Gonzalez. And so that that could happen this year, it could happen next year. So really, there's not a whole lot else. There's the two guys in Philly, Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, but that's like 2028. So there isn't like, okay, we've got to get ahead of a huge market bump at this point.”

— Curtis Allen, Salary Cap Expert

What’s next

The Seahawks will need to decide in the coming months whether to pursue a contract extension with Devon Witherspoon, and if so, what the structure and terms of that deal will look like. The timing of the extension could be influenced by the cornerback market and upcoming deals for players like Christian Gonzalez.

The takeaway

The Seahawks face an important decision on whether and how to extend star cornerback Devon Witherspoon, with the goal of locking up a core defensive piece while also managing their salary cap. The team's recent extension with Jaxon Smith-Njigba provides a template, but the cornerback market dynamics present unique challenges that the Seahawks must carefully navigate.