The Detroit Lions have closed in on a contract with Justin Coleman that will pay him $36 million over four years and make him the highest-paid nickel cornerback in the NFL.
It has long been thought the Seattle Seahawks wouldn’t be able to retain Coleman, who was acquired for a seventh-round pick from the Patriots right before the 2017 season.
Coleman was a revelation for Seattle, returning two interceptions for touchdowns in 2017 and recording a career-high 55 combined tackles last year as the primary nickel back.
However, his strong performance allowed him to demand a high salary during free agency, which officially begins Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT. Seattle needs to save money for future contract extensions with Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Frank Clark in the next two years and was unlikely to match any offer made to Coleman.
Seattle brought back versatile defensive back Akeem King instead; he is expected to take over as Seattle’s nickel back following Coleman’s departure.
