And then there was one. Three months after the 2023 NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon — the No. 5 overall pick — is the only unsigned rookie remaining in the NFL. Witherspoon is not expected to be available when the Seahawks begin their first training camp practice later on Wednesday, according to ESPN. What’s the holdup with Witherspoon’s contract?
Devon Witherspoon Is the Last Unsigned NFL Rookie in 2023
The NFL’s 2011 collective bargaining agreement made rookie contract negotiations a breeze by assigning slotted values to each draft pick. With every rookie deal essentially standardized, rookie holdouts have largely become a thing of the past.
As such, Witherspoon’s contract is already set in stone. According to Over the Cap‘s projections, he should ultimately sign a fully guaranteed four-year, $31.9 million deal that includes a $20.2 million signing bonus.
In Witherspoon’s case, the devil is in the details. The Illinois product is believed to be pushing for a large portion of his signing bonus to be paid out earlier than the Seahawks may want.
Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson — the first, second, and fourth selections in the 2023 draft — all received 100% of their signing bonuses up front. That doesn’t necessarily mean those quarterbacks will get their bonus as soon as the ink is dry, but they should be paid within several weeks.
Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., the third pick in the draft, received 85% of his signing bonus up front and 15% deferred. Defensive players typically don’t have the same leverage as quarterbacks, so Witherspoon may have to follow Anderson’s lead and accept something less than 100% in immediate pay.
Witherspoon and the Seahawks could also be arguing over offset language, which would allow Seattle to recoup money if Witherspoon is released before his rookie contract expires. However, players and agents have largely given up on the offset language fight, so Witherspoon’s bonus payment terms are likely the central issue in negotiations.
As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes, the Seahawks have never had a rookie holdout since the current CBA was adopted. But second-round running back Zach Charbonnet was among the final NFL rookies to sign his contract this year, so Seattle has certainly been taking its time.
Witherspoon should be expected to sign his contract in the near future, especially if the two sides are only hung up on a single concern. He’s expected to start alongside fellow cornerback Tariq Woolen from the get-go. In the unlikely event that Witherspoon stages an extended holdout, holdover CB Mike Jackson could begin to push for a starting role.
