According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seattle Seahawks and Devon Witherspoon, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, finalized a four-year contract extension worth $132 million on Saturday. The deal, which features over $101 million in guaranteed money, establishes him as the highest-earning cornerback in the history of the NFL.
As a crucial anchor of Seattle’s defensive unit, nicknamed “The Dark Side,” which dismantled the New England Patriots during last season’s championship game, Witherspoon is set to take home an average of $33 million annually under this new agreement.
This massive contract establishes a new financial benchmark for cornerbacks, surpassing the previous record held by Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns, who led the position with an average annual salary of $31.1 million, per Over the Cap’s data.
Trent McDuffie, the Los Angeles Rams cornerback, also ranks near the top of the pay scale with an annual average value of $31 million. This comes from an impressive four-year, $124 million agreement he reached with Los Angeles following his offseason acquisition from the Kansas City Chiefs in a high-profile trade.
Seattle originally drafted Witherspoon from the University of Illinois using the fifth overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. They secured this highly valuable pick through the blockbuster trade that sent quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos prior to the 2022 campaign.
The 25-year-old defensive back has earned Pro Bowl honors in all three of his professional seasons, showcasing his versatility by delivering impact plays from the slot, boundary corner, and other defensive alignments. According to Pro Football Focus, he surrendered a mere two touchdowns across 59 targets during the previous season.
During the Super Bowl matchup against New England, Witherspoon proved to be a constant disruption for young quarterback Drake Maye and a struggling Patriots offense.
He was responsible for four unblocked pressures, one of which resulted in a sack, while another forced a critical fourth-quarter interception returned for a touchdown by Uchenna Nwosu, per Next Gen Stats. Next Gen Stats also indicated that Witherspoon gave up only 16 yards through the air during the game, helping guide Seattle to its second Super Bowl title.
Earlier in the off-season, Seattle made history by turning Jaxon Smith-Njigba into the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. Now, they have extended that same premier status to Witherspoon in the defensive backfield.
Both stars were acquired by Seattle in the 2023 draft class, and the organization is clearly committing significant resources to keep them as cornerstones of the franchise for years to come.
