The Seattle Seahawks could begin discussing contract extensions with cornerback Devon Witherspoon and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba after winning Super Bowl LX. Both Witherspoon (No. 5) and Smith-Njigba (No. 20) were selected with first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Seahawks will exercise both of their fifth-year options this offseason, keeping them on their rookie contracts through 2027.
Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba are eligible for extensions this summer after completing three professional seasons. They'll hope to negotiate extensions despite being on cost-controlled contracts for another two campaigns. We've analyzed both situations, predicting how negotiations may go.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Smith-Njigba would especially love to capitalize on his breakout season by discussing a long-term extension with the Seahawks. After leading the league in receiving yards with 1,793, Smith-Njigba won the Offensive Player of the Year at NFL Honors. With the wide receiver market exploding in recent offseasons, the timing literally couldn't be better.
Ja'Marr Chase is the highest-paid wideout in the NFL at $40.2 million annually after signing a four-year extension worth $161 million with $112 million in guarantees. Nine wide receivers currently earn $30 million per season or more. For Smith-Njigba, the conversation probably starts at $35 million annually, which is what Justin Jefferson earns as the second-highest paid receiver.
Will Smith-Njigba surpass Chase's contract? We wouldn't totally rule out the possibility, but we're not convinced his league-wide reputation has quite reached those heights yet. Negotiations could begin around the $38 million per season mark, with a four-year, $154 million contract feeling appropriate. The longer the Seahawks wait, the higher the price goes.
Devon Witherspoon
Witherspoon has established himself as a top-five cornerback in the league. He entered the NFL as more of a nickel corner, but has transformed his skill set in recent years. Witherspoon improved his overall value to the Seahawks by playing more snaps at boundary cornerback than the slot throughout 2025 for the first time in his career.
Witherspoon registered career lows in tackles (72) and pass breakups (7) this campaign. He only notched one interception. Context is incredibly important to digesting these statistics. Because Witherspoon was playing boundary corner, he saw fewer opportunities to make tackles around the line of scrimmage. He also saw fewer targets (78) this season than he did throughout 2024 (88), and only gave up three touchdowns and was whistled for just three penalties.
A three-year extension paying Witherspoon $27 million per year would equal $81 million from an overall value perspective. That would make Witherspoon the third-highest paid corner in the league annually, trailing just Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner ($30.1 million/per year) and Derek Stingley Jr. ($30 million). Like Stingley, keeping the extension relatively short at three years would offer him another opportunity at a pay raise in a league that is consistently seeing its salary cap endure significant increases.
Conclusion
The Seahawks are fortunate to roster two superstars at premium positions in Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon. The Seahawks are approaching the offseason with roughly $72.2 million in cap space. General manager John Schneider has built a complete roster that could contend for another Super Bowl next season.
It's silly to look too far ahead, but the Seahawks are projected to possess another $128.3 million next offseason. Ultimately, Schneider is in an excellent financial position. That cap-space flexibility should be utilized to sign Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba to lucrative multi-year extensions.
