The Seattle Seahawks are entering an offseason that will test how much of their championship core can stay together. On the Adam Schefter Podcast with Dan Stanczyk, Schefter outlined why the franchise faces difficult financial decisions after a Super Bowl season under coach Mike Macdonald.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon Extension Decisions Loom
Schefter said the conversation begins with the players who became contract eligible for the first time after breakout years. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was PFSN’s No. 2-ranked receiver in the WRi metric, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon anchored the No. 1-ranked defense in PFSN’s DEFi metric. Both are positioned to seek major extensions that reflect their roles on a title team.
“I know everybody right away is going to talk about Kenneth Walker III becoming a free agent and whether they can keep him. Super Bowl MVP. Big deal, of course,” Schefter said.
“And I know it’s going to be a big deal that they lost Klint Kubiak, their offensive coordinator, and they now will be seeking their third different offensive coordinator in three years under Mike Macdonald. Where this gets interesting is this. We saw the type of year that Jaxon Smith-Njigba had, correct? Offensive player of the year. He’s going to want to be paid like the offensive player of the year.”
For the first time in their standout NFL careers, Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and CB Devon Witherspoon both are now eligible for contract extensions. Both will want new lucrative deals.
With @DanStanczyk:
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Schefter connected those potential contracts to the broader challenge every champion faces. He noted Witherspoon’s postseason impact and the market at cornerback, then described how two top-of-market deals could reshape the roster around them.
“If we make Jaxon Smith-Njigba the latest $40 million a year wide receiver, and if we make Devon Witherspoon one of the top paid cornerbacks in the game, all of a sudden it gets harder to assemble the type of roster that can compete for championships on an annual basis,” Schefter said.
“Now the great part is John Schneider is a shrewd GM. He’s the one that hired Mike Macdonald. He’s the one that pivoted off Geno Smith and signed Sam Darnold. He has a great eye for talent and is one of the best general managers in the league.”
Schefter labeled the situation the Super Bowl tax, a cycle in which successful players command raises that tighten cap flexibility. The Seahawks must already replace offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and decisions on Walker III and other free agents coincide with the extension talks.
Seattle’s front office built the roster that finished the season with the league’s top defense and a passing game led by Smith-Njigba. The next phase requires balancing those achievements with the cost of maintaining them. Schefter said the pattern is familiar across the league, with every champion confronting the same math.
The offseason will determine how much of the title foundation remains in place and how Macdonald’s staff adapts to a roster stacked with Super Bowl talent.
