Russell Wilson Reportedly Seeking Deal That Will Make Him NFL’s Richest

A little more light has been shed on the long-stewing contract stalemate between quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks today. Wilson’s agent Mark Rodgers has disclosed that his client is seeking a deal that would make him the wealthiest player in the NFL.

According to Bleacher Report’s NFL insider Adam Cole, Wilson has his sights set on a deal that would exceed Aaron Rodgers’ five year, $110 million contract signed in 2013. The Packers’ signal caller currently holds the distinction of “league’s richest player”, and may well reclaim that title in three years provided his standard of play does not suffer a significant drop.

But unlike most media outlets will have you believe, Wilson’s stance here is not a product of the narrative supporting him as some sort of money-crazed maniac. The current state of the NFL has placed even mediocre quarterbacks – let alone dual-threat Super Bowl champions – on an insurmountable pedestal.

Just last season, the Bengals turned heads when they signed Andy Dalton to a big money deal, while the Panthers recently extended that same courtesy to Cam Newton. That isn’t to say that either player was underserving of their contract, because that is exclusively for the market to decide.

In a modern, pass-happy league, stability at quarterback is undeniably the most important factor in building a championship contender. Wilson is simply taking advantage of his opportunity, which, by the way, wasn’t just handed to him.

What is also often ignored here is the size of the salary cap. When Rodgers signed the papers that would keep him in the green and gold, his deal was worth 17% of the concurrent salary cap. Were Wilson to sign for the exact same lump sum per year ($22.5 million), it would account for just 14% of the 2015 cap.

The Seahawks need to make a decision. Do they place enough financial faith in a 26-year-old that has led them to two Super Bowls in three years as a starter, or can they find a more cost-effective option elsewhere? Somebody tell the ‘Hawks front office that this is the wrong time to be cheap.