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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Seattle Seahawks defense has been revitalized under head coach Mike Macdonald. Dubbed "Legion of Boom 2.0," this Super Bowl-winning unit features stars like Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence, Byron Murphy II, Nick Emmanwori, and Devon Witherspoon. The Seahawks have reestablished themselves as one of the toughest defenses in the NFL, and Witherspoon, in particular, has been arguably the face of it all as Seattle's ferocious, physical tone-setter in the secondary.
Now, he's been paid like it.
On Saturday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Witherspoon and the Seahawks have agreed to a new four-year, $132 million extension, including over $101 million guaranteed. With an annual average salary of $33 million, Witherspoon becomes the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
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Selected fifth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Illinois, the high draft capital has paid off for Seattle. Witherspoon has earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first three seasons, along with second-team All-Pro honors last season after recording 72 combined tackles — including 48 solo tackles — two tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, seven pass breakups, one interception, one fumble recovery, and half a sack. He also posted an overall PFF grade of 89.9, the highest of any cornerback in the NFL, including the second-ranked pass-coverage grade (84.6) and run-defense grade (86.7), showcasing his value as a versatile defensive back who can line up all over the field.
Witherspoon had been negotiating a new deal throughout the offseason, but the process reportedly took longer than expected due to the Seahawks' extension with star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as well as the ongoing contract talks between Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots. Gonzalez, another member of the 2023 draft class, has also established himself as one of the league's top cornerbacks but has yet to land a new deal with New England. He and Witherspoon share the same agent, Reggie Johnson of WIN Sports Group.
Witherspoon's new deal comes at an ideal time — with a month still to go before the regular season, and just hours before the Seahawks' preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys later Saturday evening.
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