NFL teams have been put on high alert after it emerged the Seattle Seahawks are having difficulty tying down one of their Super Bowl heroes.
According to ESPN, the Seahawks are desperately trying to secure fresh terms with their star cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
But, while an initial offer was made to Witherspoon several weeks ago, the two sides are reportedly still far from striking an agreement.
Witherspoon has two years left on his rookie deal but he is undoubtedly a key piece of Mike Macdonald’s defense and could be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.
The 25-year-old was critical to the team’s Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots back in February.
And he was rewarded for his impressive performances throughout the season by getting selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.
Talks between the Seattle Seahawks and star cornerback Devon Witherspoon have stalled
Witherspoon, left, has become a crucial piece of the Seahawks’ impressive defense
Mike Macdonald will desperately want to re-sign Witherspoon before the start of the season
There is still plenty of time to get a deal done before the new season starts. Seattle has a history of signing veteran players to new deals at the start of training camp and players are not due to return for another two months.
Witherspoon has so far not given any indication he wants out and has taken part in the team’s voluntary offseason program.
According to ESPN, some NFL insiders have speculated the delay in talks is due to Witherspoon’s agency also representing Patriots star Christian Gonzalez.
Another star cornerback in the NFL, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots are trying to lock Gonzalez down to a new contract this offseason.
Witherspoon was drafted with the No. 5 overall pick out of Illinois in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has played 42 regular season games across three years and was ever present during Seattle’s playoff run last season.
It comes two months after the Seahawks secured wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s future when he signed a four-year, $168.6 million extension, which was the largest contract in franchise history.
