Jalen Carter agreed to a new deal with the Eagles this week that will make him the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league and that development is of interest to plenty of people outside of Philadelphia.
One interested party could be found in Seattle. Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams is heading into the final year of his current deal, which has an average annual salary of $21.5 million. That ranks 14th at the position for a player who was a second-team All-Pro last season.
Williams might not jump back to the top of the heap at this point in his career, but he said Tuesday that he’s had “a few conversations” with the team about extending his stay in Seattle. Williams said he’s doing his best to keep those conversations from impacting his preparation for the season.
“I try not to think about it, honestly,” Williams said, via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. “I’ve always been that type of guy. I’ve obviously had a lot of contracts at this point in my career, and I’ve always noticed players that really focus on their contract end up not playing well, they end up having their head in the wrong place, and I’ve noticed that when I focus on just being where I’m at, focusing on my team and how I can get better individually, things always tend to work themselves out.”
The Seahawks are also talking contract with cornerback Devon Witherspoon, so there could be multiple contract announcements in the near future if all goes well for two of their top defensive players.