SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks finally have both of the team's first-round draft picks under contract, after Devon Witherspoon became the last of the 259 players taken in the 2023 NFL Draft to sign his deal.
Witherspoon had missed the first few days of Seahawks training camp due to a reported issue with his contract. On Friday, Witherspoon signed a four-year, $31.86 million contract, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
The NFL's latest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) sets scales for rookie contracts based on where a prospect is drafted. The years and dollar amounts are locked in for each draft pick in the first round, and the only issues that come up generally have to do with the schedule of signing bonus payments and other minute details.
Witherspoon will now be able to practice on the field along with his new Seahawks teammates and will have a lot of eyeballs on him as a top-five draft choice. One of the most dominant defensive backs in college football a year ago, Witherspoon joins a talented secondary that saw huge contributions from a pair of rookies in 2022 with Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant.
The most notable recent rookie holdout involving a top draftee was defensive end Joey Bosa and the Los Angeles Chargers. Bosa ended up not signing his contract until near the end of August, making the No. 3 pick of the 2016 draft miss nearly all of his first training camp.
Luckily for the Seahawks, Witherspoon only missed a few days and will have plenty of time to prepare for the team's first preseason game on Aug. 10, which will be televised locally live on KING 5.
