After a 10-6 finish to the 2018 NFL season and a first-round exit at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, the Seattle Seahawks are faced with questions. What do they do at edge rusher? Will they re-sign KJ Wright? What positions deserve the most attention? But one question is particularly significant. Will they extend franchise cornerstones Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner?
Given their respective production over their careers in Seattle and adoration among the fan base, it should be a no-brainer to sign Wilson and Wagner to contract extensions as they enter the final year of their respective contracts. They are two of the most revered players at their positions in the NFL and are currently in the prime of their careers with little to no injury or character issues.
Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd recently brought attention to a rumor of Wilson being traded to the New York Giants for rather arbitrary reasons such as his wife Ciara "preferring New York" to the Emerald City and his "marketability being wasted in Seattle." Despite this, Wilson and Ciara love Seattle and the Seahawks are widely expected to extend him after he recorded the best single-game performance of his career last year with 35 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. The 30-year-old Wilson looks to enjoy a few more years of his prime before age catches up to him.
Wagner has established himself as one of the best linebackers (maybe the best) in the NFL ever since he was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He is perhaps the best tackler in the NFL, finishing fourth in tackles for the 2018 season with 138 and first in fewest missed tackles with one. In addition, Wagner recorded a career-high 11 passes defensed and an interception returned 98 yards for a touchdown last season and has missed only thirteen tackles over the past three seasons.
Nobody knows what the Seahawks plan to do this offseason. However, signing Wilson and Wagner to contract extensions should be a top priority for them. Players with their level of talent do not grow on trees.
