Of the 259 players taken in the 2023 draft, Seahawks rookie Devon Witherspoon is the only one left unsigned. His four-year, $31.8 million contract, which is fully guaranteed, is non-negotiable.
But the Seahawks and Witherspoon’s representation are haggling over the timing of the signing bonus payout of $20.171 million, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports. The team has a long-held policy of spreading out bonus payments, and Witherspoon is believed to want all of the payment up front, Condotta adds.
The No. 5 overall pick missing the start of training camp seems like a big deal, but coach Pete Carroll, of course, downplayed Witherspoon’s absence.
“He’s not here today,” Carroll said Wednesday. “He knows everything he needs to know. I can’t imagine he won’t be here very soon.”
Witherspoon is expected to start opposite Tariq Woolen, a fifth-round pick in 2022, but he has to get to camp first.
“He knows what’s going on right now, and we’ll see what happens,” Carroll said of Witherspoon.