The time has finally come…Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is about to get paid. After months of negotiating back and forth, Wilson’s agent was able to finalize a deal with the Seahawks just in time for training camp. The four-year deal, which promises Wilson $60 million in guarantees and includes a $31 million signing bonus, officially makes him the second-highest paid player in the NFL. The only player getting paid more than him at this point is none than Aaron Rodgers. Wilson, who has one more year left on his rookie contract, will only be getting paid $1.5 million in base salary this season. But come 2016, he will be averaging $21.9 million per season. This puts him higher than other franchise quarterbacks like Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, and Ben Roethlisberger.
When Wilson first arrived on the scene, he was definitely slept on. The Seahawks were stuck in a state of mediocrity and nobody really thought Wilson would be the answer to the team’s prayers. But he quickly proved everybody wrong. Since coming into the NFL as the 75th pick in 2012, the talented quarterback (with the help of Seattle’s stout defense) has led the team to the Super Bowl twice in two years and brought the city a championship. So it’s safe to say he deserves every bit of that $87.6 million.
Russell went on Twitter after the news broke to confirm that it was a done deal:
And of course, he got a special shoutout from his boo Ciara.
Congrats Russell! Now that the money is settled, it’s time to ball out this season!