Leonard Williams Is 32, And ESPN Wants The Super Bowl Champion Hawks To Cut A HUGE Check

Alright, 12s, listen up! The offseason is usually crickets out here in the Emerald City, especially with training camp still about a month away. But just when you thought it was all quiet on the Seahawks front, ESPN's Aaron Schatz drops a bombshell suggestion that's got us all buzzing. Forget adding another free agent offensive lineman or a pass rusher, Schatz's "final offseason move" for our Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks is all about *keeping* one of our own. He says we gotta extend defensive line monster Leonard Williams, and I'm not gonna lie, it's a decision that gives you a pit in your stomach!

Should We Pay Big Cat BIG Money?

This is the ultimate head-scratcher. On one hand, Big Cat is gonna be 32 this season, and yeah, that's the age where you start wondering about a player's decline. But then you look at the tape, and the dude is still straight-up balling! Last season, he racked up seven sacks, and he was named second-team All-Pro in 2025. Get this: ESPN Research says he got double-teamed on a staggering 66.6% of his pass-rush snaps, which is the fourth-highest among *all* interior defensive linemen in the league. That's elite company, folks! He's been a pivotal piece of our defense since we snagged him in that midseason trade back in 2023, barely missing a game, and he's a two-way beast against both the run

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and as a pass rusher. Maybe interior defensive line is one of those positions where players can age like a fine wine, right?

The Green and Blue Dilemma

Here's the rub: Williams' current contract voids in 2027, making him our biggest free agent heading into next offseason. This year is the final stretch of his three-year, $64.5 million deal, and he's still due almost $30 million in base salary and bonuses for 2026 alone. That makes him the third-highest paid IDL in the league for 2026, behind only Chris Jones and Nnamdi Madubuike. You see the predicament for our Hawks? We've also got a looming Byron Murphy II extension to think about next offseason, and Jarran Reed is in the middle of his own (much cheaper) three-year deal. The heart says "keep Big Cat forever!" because he just feels too valuable at such a premium position to let walk away for nothing. But the head? That's where the big money questions start. So, here we are, just a month out from training camp, and the Super Bowl champion Seahawks have a monster decision to make. Do we commit to Williams for a couple more seasons, securing a player who's still performing at an All-Pro level, even as he hits the wrong side of 30? Or do we let him play out this final year, risking him walking away for nothing? This is the kind of stuff that shapes a franchise, and for our Hawks, who just hoisted the Lombardi, it's a huge piece of what's next. We'll be watching every move.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.