Russell Wilson agrees to massive contract extension; is Tom Brady next?

Share

There's reportedly a new richest man in the NFL.

The Seattle Seahawks agreed to a contract extension with Russell Wilson just before Monday's deadline, the quarterback confirmed early Tuesday morning on Twitter.

The deal is worth $140 million over four years with a $65 million signing bonus, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday, making Wilson the highest-paid player in the NFL at $35 million per year.

Wilson's mega-contract will have a ripple effect across the league, and the New England Patriots may feel that impact. Tom Brady is entering the final year of his contract without a long-term deal in place, making him a possible extension candidate before the 2019 season begins.

Our Tom E. Curran reported all was quiet on the Brady contract extension front as of late March, but the 41-year-old QB has never entered a "walk year" without a new deal. Brady has insisted he wants to play until age 45 (or 50, if you ask his trainer, Alex Guerrero) and seems intent on staying in New England, so the framework for one last extension is there.

What a Brady extension would look like, however, is unclear. The six-time Super Bowl champion enters 2019 with a cap hit of $27 million (fifth-highest in the league) but a base salary of just $14 million, behind 17 other NFL quarterbacks.

Brady's track record suggests he'd be willing to sign another team-friendly deal to help keep the Patriots competitive in his final NFL seasons. But Wilson's new contract raises the bar across the board for NFL quarterbacks and could affect how Brady negotiates a possible extension.

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.

Contact Us