Report: Russell Wilson tells the Seahawks he wants an extension by April 15

With Frank Clark set to play under the franchise tag, and Russell Wilson, Jarran Reed and Bobby Wagner all requiring new deals soon, the 2019 offseason was sure to bring eyebrow raising news. Tuesday afternoon delivered just that, with Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reporting that Wilson and his agent have told the Seahawks that they want a new deal done by the time Seattle reports for their offseason program on April 15.

Per Condotta, the Seahawks and Wilson’s side have been negotiating recently, with Wilson eager to get something done. Now, there is a firm deadline. Currently, Wilson is set to play 2019 on the final year of his first extension, a four-year, $87.6M deal that would pay him $25.2M in this upcoming season. If an extension isn’t agreed to by Wilson’s deadline, Condotta reports:

It’s unclear what happens if the two sides do not agree to a deal by April 15 and if that means there would be no further discussions in 2019 and Wilson would play out the season without a new deal, though that would seem like one reason for setting a deadline.

As was the case with Wilson’s first extension, the earlier the better. Once/if Wilson is extended, several other high-profile quarterbacks will follow suit, likely topping Wilson’s new deal and making it look like a bargain in the process.