Seahawks, Russell Wilson fail to come to terms on new contract by April 15th deadline (UPDATE: deadline was met)

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE, 1:42 a.m.: Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a contract extension. This story was published when the deadline set by Wilson’s camp expired at midnight. Shortly thereafter, news broke of the new 4-year, $140 million dollar deal.

Unlike a Brian Schottenheimer play call, the deadline has officially passed.

April 15th has come and gone on the west coast, and it ends without a new contract for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Whether or not the two sides are still talking or if this deadline is as rigid as it seems remains to be seen, however.

Wilson and his agent Mark Rodgers imposed a “deadline” to get a new deal done for Russell, with Peter King reporting that if it failed to materialize by April 15th, “they won’t do a long-term deal with the Seahawks.” Both King and Michael-Shawn Dugar also noted that Wilson reportedly wants a precedent-setting contract, which would (per King) involve his pay adjusting to “future years of the deal based on how high the cap goes up year to year, or based on new revenue streams (gambling revenue, for example, or a TV contract that explodes).”

ProFootballTalk tweeted that a “source” “predicted” that a Wilson deal would still be huge but not include precedent setting language on how he would be paid.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport relayed that, in an absolute shocker, both Wilson and Rodgers were present at Seahawks headquarters looking to get that coveted extension and they have been for several days. It now looks like negotiations possibly didn’t go as each side had hoped, and this will obviously start swirling around the rumors that Wilson could actually be dealt. That remains extremely unlikely, as Seattle has reportedly asked for a gaggle of first-round draft picks in return, perhaps as many as four.

Nothing like it has happened in NFL history: a truly elite starting quarterback dealt in the middle of his career, at just 30 years old.

And assuming he isn’t dealt, it doesn’t mean 2019 will be Wilson’s final season with the Seahawks either (I sure hope it isn’t), as they could slap the franchise tag on him in 2020 and 2021 — as well as 2022, but that would be for over $50 million — but for now it’s very much a wait and see on what the long-term future is for the greatest quarterback in franchise history and one of the all-time most iconic and decorated athletes Seattle sports has ever seen.