The Seattle Seahawks have a bunch of decisions to make this offseason on whether to sign a player to an extension. Left tackle Charles Cross had his fifth-year option picked up and is signed through 2026, but why wait? Seattle should wrap him up now.
The same argument could be made for edge rusher Boye Mafe, running back Kenneth Walker III, and cornerback Riq Woolen, whose rookie deals are up after the 2025 season. On Tuesday, though, Seattle signed another veteran to a contract extension, and the decision to do so was likely very easy.
Punter Michael Dickson's deal was supposed to be up after 2025, too, but no longer. According to the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the Seahawks and Dickson agreed to a four-year extension, which will keep him in Seattle through 2029.
Seahawks and punter Michael Dickson agree to a contract extension
By the end of the extension, Dickson will be 33 years old and will have spent 12 seasons with the team. 33 is not too old for a punter to keep doing his job at a high level in the NFL, so Dickson might sign another extension that begins after 2029. If he continues to punt at his current level, that move would also be a no-brainer.
In 2024, Dickson, who was named First-Team All-Pro in his rookie season of 2018, was fifth in net yards per punt (43.3). He ranked third in 2023 and second in 2022. In other words, he has been a good player for a long time, and there is no reason to think he won't continue to play that well.
Dickson has the highest average yards per punt (48.2) in Seahawks history by nearly four yards. Jon Ryan is number two with an average of 44.8. Dickson's average net yards per punt is 42.9, which is more than four yards per punt compared to second-place Ryan (38.7).
Dickson is by far the best punter in Seattle football history, and still only 29 years old.
His extension through 2029 is for a total of $16.2 million. The punter was already the highest-paid player at his position per season ($3,674,765), and his new extension will pay him a bit more with an average of $4,050,000. He is the most consistent punter in the game, so his extension is worth it.
The breakdown of his deal as far as guaranteed money has not yet been announced, but whatever it is won't be overly taxing to the Seahawks' cap space. Keeping Michael Dickson in Seattle was definitely the correct move, no matter the cost.
