The Seattle Seahawks just made Russell Wilson the highest-paid player in the NFL.
The two sides agreed to a four-year, $140 million extension that includes a $65 million signing bonus.
Wilson announced the deal while lying in bed with his wife Ciara after midnight, and reporters confirmed the numbers early Tuesday morning.
Wilson and his agent had given the Seahawks a deadline of midnight Monday for a new contract.
The assumption was that if the two sides didn’t come to an agreement, Seattle would’ve considered retaining Wilson by using the franchise tag when his contract expired at the end of next season, probably leading to an eventual split between the two sides.
The 30-year-old quarterback has played his entire NFL career in Seattle after the Seahawks drafted him in the third round in 2012. Wilson is a six-time Pro Bowl selection and helped lead the team to a win in Super Bowl XLVIII.
His rookie contract was for four years and $2.99 million. The fact that he played well so early in his career allowed Seattle to use cap space on what became the NFL’s most intimidating defense.
Wilson threw for a career-high 35 touchdown passes last season on his fewest number of pass attempts since 2013.
It’s fair to wonder how Wilson’s high salary may impact negotiations with players like linebacker Bobby Wagner and pass rusher Frank Clark.
Seattle finished 10-6 last season with a loss to Dallas in the wild card game.