The last we heard on the impasse between the Seattle Seahawks and left tackle Duane Brown, the negotiations had stalled and the two sides were not actively engaging in contract talks.
While there’s been no deal as of yet, at least they’re talking again. According to Mike Garafolo at NFL Network, Seattle and Brown are engaging again in an effort to end the hold-in before the 2021 season begins.
NFL Network's @MikeGarafolo with me on @SportsRadioKJR just now: "there has been some engagement" between #Seahawks and Duane Brown "to end the hold-in" and him getting back on the field to get ready for the season opener.
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 26, 2021
Brown is entering the final year of his current contract, which will pay him $10 million in base salary. Brown feels he’s earned a new deal, but the team prefers to wait until after this season to address that.
The Seahawks have a fair point in that Brown will turn 36 years old in a few days and it makes sense to go year to year with anyone at that point in their career. That said, Brown still plays his position at a high level.
Pete Carroll has said he’s not concerned about Brown potentially missing Week 1’s matchup with the Colts. However, if it does come to that the Seahawks may risk injuring their most valuable asset. Backup quarterback Geno Smith suffered a concussion not even one full quarter into the preseason with Brown on the bench, underscoring the dangers of starting an unproven lineman on the blindside.
For his part, Russell Wilson seems to be on Brown’s side – saying Seattle needs him out there.
