Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was terrible for most of today’s NFC Championship Game, but delivered when the team needed it most. Now, regardless of what happens two weeks from today, Wilson will have brought his team to back-to-back Super Bowls while winning at least one and establishing himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
After accomplishing all that in only his first three seasons, Wilson is eligible for a hefty pay raise on his next contract extension. Wilson changed agents last month in anticipation of these negotiations, and the Seahawks could offer their superstar quarterback a contract that makes him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, surpassing the $22MM yearly average of the quarterback he beat today in Aaron Rodgers.
Wilson is currently slated to make less than $800K in base salary for 2015, according to OverTheCap.com. While it is customary for the most recent top quarterback contract to set a new benchmark in terms of his contract, Wilson is competing with fellow signal-caller Andrew Luck. The Colts are preparing a huge contract for their own star quarterback, possibly with an even higher annual salary than Wilson.
Still, the Seahawks are prepared to make the sacrifices elsewhere on the roster in order to afford Wilson, and will likely let a number of free agents walk this offseason, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith could be an easy one to let go, as he is getting work as a fourth linebacker on the team, according to Joel Corry of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Corry also notes that with the Seahawks already committed to Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Kam Chancellor, they would probably have to let Byron Maxwell leave in free agency as well.