Devon Witherspoon's agents have a big task in front of them. How do they want to frame the Seattle Seahawks' wunderkind's position when contract extension negotiations occur? Is Witherspoon an outside corner or a slot corner? Maybe he is something unique, and maybe he is neither or both of those spots.
The good news for the agents and the player is that no matter what position they want to argue for (and this is important because there is a difference between, for example, an agent saying a player is a defensive lineman versus an edge rusher), Witherspoon is going to get paid. He deserves to be.
In his first two seasons, he has made the Pro Bowl and been a menace to opposing offenses with his speed and tenaciousness. He might not be the biggest person on the field, but he plays as if he is. He is a smaller version of Seahawks legend Richard Sherman.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon likely all smiles after latest Chicago Bears move
The agents also have a starting spot to begin contract extension negotiations with. The Chicago Bears extended Kyler Gordon on Sunday for three years and $40 million, with $31.25 million guaranteed. That makes Gordon the highest-paid slot corner in the league.
Witherspoon is a better player, though. He has a better career quarterback rating allowed and is better at pressuring opposing quarterbacks on corner blitzes. He deserves to be paid more than Gordon and will almost certainly be.
The corner's contract runs through 2026, but the team has a fifth-year option because he was a first-round pick in 2023. At the worst, Witherspoon will not leave the Seahawks until after 2027. General manager John Schneider, the player, and his agents should try to get an extension done next offseason so the drama of what will happen after 2027 never occurs.
Gordon's deal averages $13.3 million a season. That number ranks 21st among all cornerbacks, though, and Witherspoon will want more than that. Maybe he talks head coach Mike Macdonald into playing more outside corner next season, which would only raise his asking price.
While Schneider does not make it a habit to negotiate with players until there is an absolute need to, maybe Witherspoon should be the exception. Gordon has increased the ceiling for slot corners, which probably means some other players will push it higher. Schneider should sign Witherspoon soon before he is forced to pay even more due to how the market could dictate.
