No matter how successful a team is, it faces considerable challenges each offseason. Perhaps the most prevalent issue is deciding whether or not to give extensions to superstar players. The Seattle Seahawks are certainly no different — the team handed both Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner massive contracts this year to become the highest-paid players at their positions.
On Friday night, the Seahawks and Wagner agreed to a three-year, $54 million extension with $40.2 million guaranteed. The deal was completed just two days into training camp, after months of quiet negotiations.
While there were a few weeks of needless speculation and trade rumors for Wilson, the Seahawks were able to lock down two of the franchise’s most iconic players with little to no noise. The swift and decisive actions taken by Seattle this offseason is in stark contrast to how the organization handled the situation with linebacker Earl Thomas last year.
Thomas infamously held out from all team activities, including the preseason, until Week 1 of the regular season. Thomas was demanding either a new contract or to be traded to a team that would give him one. The Seahawks did neither, and it cost them.
Thomas broke his leg in Week 4, ending his season prematurely. The Seahawks endured months of near-endless distractions related to his holdout; they could have ended that at any time but chose not to do so. Instead of ensuring Thomas would remain a lifelong Seahawk or earning valuable draft capital from a trade, the franchise watched one of their best players ever leave amid bitterness.
This offseason, it’s been clear the Seahawks did not want to repeat last year’s mistakes and learned from them. The two most important players for Seattle are in the fold for the foreseeable future, and there is a strong sense of resolution moving forward.
