Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark has no intention of signing his franchise tag or reporting to training camp unless he receives an extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Clark was one of five pass-rushers to receive the franchise tender last week, but he may have been the closest of the group to reaching a long-term agreement. Reports just before the tag deadline indicated Seattle was progressing on a new deal with Clark, so there may be some momentum in discussions. The Seahawks have until July 15 to work out a extension with Clark — if they don’t, he’ll be forced to play out the 2019 campaign under the franchise tender.

A former second-round pick, Clark will collect $17.128MM for the 2019 season, a total which will become fully guaranteed once he signs his tag. While that’s a hefty total for a single season, it doesn’t represent Clark’s true value on the open market, or what he’s likely searching for via an extension. While he’s probably not going to exceed Khalil Mack‘s $23.5MM annual average, Clark could feel secure in targeting a $20MM+ yearly salary on a long-term pact.

Clark, 25, has been a wrecking ball over the past three seasons, ranking seventh among NFL defensive linemen in sacks (32) and 10th in quarterbacks hits (66) during that time. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Clark as the league’s No. 18 edge defender.

One member of the free agent pass rusher contingent that will not be permitted to reach the market, Frank Clark may be on the verge of reaching a long-term agreement with the Seahawks.

The sides are making progress on a new deal, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). The Seahawks have until 3pm Tuesday to determine whether Clark will be their franchise player.

Pete Carroll said this week Clark will be a Seahawk in 2019, so the team will tag the 25-year-old standout if no agreement is reached by Tuesday afternoon. The long-rumored tag scenario — officially worth $17.128MM — would eat into Seattle’s $49.8MM in cap space.

Clark joins Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford and perhaps Grady Jarrett and Trey Flowers as candidates for that $17MM-plus figure. DeMarcus Lawrence‘s tag will be worth just more than $20MM. Clark has been more consistent than Ford and produced a better statistical season than Flowers or Clowney has, though the latter is a higher-profile player because of his all-around game and draft pedigree. It may take a $20MM-plus-AAV pact to keep him long-term.

The Seahawks did not authorize even a $10MM-per-year pact with Michael Bennett or Cliff Avril, so it would be interesting to see how far the team goes for Clark — who backed up this duo for much of his first three years in the league.

One way or another, the Seahawks do not appear to be ready to let Frank Clark leave the Pacific Northwest. Their top pass rusher is on the verge of UFA status, but the Seahawks have begun discussions for a second Clark contract, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes.

The sides have been negotiating since the season ended, per Condotta, who adds the Seahawks view the franchise tag as a “legitimate option” this year. Pete Carroll said at season’s end he’s “counting on” Clark being back with the Seahawks next season.

Seattle has not used the tag since applying their 2010 tag to Olindo Mare, but with Clark in position to command a lucrative deal on the open market, it looks like his current team will not allow that.

Seattle let several core defenders go last year and may enter the 2019 season with just one of its Super Bowl-era defenders left, Bobby Wagner. Clark led the Seahawks with 13 sacks — the most for this franchise since Patrick Kerney‘s 14.5 in 2007 — and profiles as another front-seven piece that could join Wagner as a long-term starter after waiting behind Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril for years.

Clark said he would be fine if the Seahawks tagged him. This would cost the Seahawks approximately $17MM, but the team is armed with more cap space than it has carried in recent years. Seattle stands to have just more than $60MM in room. With the team going through most of the 2010s without using the tag, a back-to-back tag scenario may unfold. Russell Wilson could be a legitimate option for a 2020 tag.

Considering Melvin Ingram and Chandler Jones signed extensions in the $16MM-AAV neighborhood after being tagged two years ago, on a $167MM cap, Clark will surely push to become the NFL’s highest-paid 4-3 defensive end. Danielle Hunter signed for $14.4MM per year before his Pro Bowl season. Clark’s 2018 production will surely push him north of that figure, if he and the Seahawks do get close on a long-term deal before the tag deadline.

Additionally, Clark said (on Twitter) he played this season with two torn UCLs. That injury usually leads to Tommy John surgery, so it’s a situation worth monitoring this offseason.

Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark is scheduled to become a free agent next spring, but the star edge defender wouldn’t have a problem accepting the franchise tag in lieu of a long-term deal, as his agent Erik Burkhardt explained to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.

“Frank and I are not scared of the franchise tag,” Burkhardt said. “That’s going to come in at about $18 million next year for a D-end on a one-year, fully guaranteed deal. It’s what [Lions defensive end Ezekiel] Ansah and [Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus] Lawrence have done. They get that top-of-the-market value for one year, and 12 months later will get their long-term deal as well. That’s winning.”

Seattle has already indicated that it will not use the franchise tag on veteran safety Earl Thomas, and given that the club doesn’t have any other obvious candidates for the tender, Clark could get tagged on a one-year deal worth more than $17.5MM. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says negotiations with Clark are “ongoing,” tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, but Clark also has a loss-of-value insurance policy in the event that his contract prospects are diminished by injury.

“I’m not saying a deal won’t get done,” Burkhardt said in explaining why he won’t rush Clark into a pact. “I’m just saying Frank and I don’t feel any panic or urgency to do an early deal just for the sake of doing an early deal. Athletes today prepare their whole lives to potentially get one big contract, and Frank has put himself in position to do that.”

Clark, 25, was selected in the second round of the 2015 draft and began contributing immediately, posting three sacks during his rookie campaign. Since that time, he’s played on roughly two-thirds of Seattle’s snaps in each season, and recorded 24.5 sacks in 37 games. This year arguably marks Clark’s best campaign to date, and Pro Football Focus grades him as the NFL’s No. 20 edge defender among 101 qualifiers.

If Clark does hit free agency, he’ll join an impressive list of available pass rushers that could include Lawrence, Ansah, Trey Flowers, Jadeveon Clowney, and Dee Ford, among others.

While Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark continues to skip OTAs, it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting the contract extension he’s hoping for anytime soon. The Seahawks “have not had any substantive discussions with Clark and his representatives yet and it’s possible they are willing to play this one out a little bit” according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Clark has stayed away from the voluntary portions of the team’s offseason program while he angles for a new deal. He’s currently heading into the final year of his rookie contract and is slated to make just over $900K. After being taken with the 63rd overall pick in 2015, Clark has put up solid numbers each of the past two seasons. He had 10 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2016 and followed it up with nine sacks and two forced fumbles in 2017.

While Clark’s production has been very good, Condotta points out that a lot of it might have been due to Clark lining up alongside fellow edge rushers Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril who would take a lot of the offensive line’s attention away. With Bennett and Avril both no longer with the team, Condotta says “The Seahawks might want to see how he handles being the main man on a re-tooled defensive line before committing” to him longterm.

Despite Clark making it clear he wants a new contract and Condotta’s reporting that the Seahawks haven’t even reached out to his representatives, Condotta says “the expectation is Clark will show up for mandatory mini-camp.” After a tumultuous offseason in which veterans like Richard Sherman, Bennett, and Avril were all let go in one form or another, the Seahawks are suddenly faced with a lack of experience on defense. They’ll be counting heavily on Clark to get to the quarterback in 2018, and despite the lack of talks it won’t be at all surprising if the Seahawks decide to lock him up before the season starts.