Russell Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, did a lengthy interview on the Brock and Salk Show on 710 ESPN Seattle to talk about where things stand in contract negotiations between his client and the Seahawks.
The biggest takeaway was the Rodgers said there has been progress, and that much of what has been reported is inaccurate, but he also made it clear that Wilson is willing to play out his contract if they don’t get the deal they want from Seattle.
Rodgers did make it clear that Wilson, who is in Jacksonville today for Cliff Avril’s father’s funeral, then back for Friday’s OTAs, will not change in the way he approaches this season whether or not he signs a new deal.
Here are some quotes from the interview:
On how conversations with the team are going so far: “The general public at large, the fans, would be surprise at how these negotiations go… We’ve had an ongoing dialogue, not all of it being negotiation. Some of it just being philosophical, really trying to understand each other’s positions and viewpoints. I would characterize our talks as ongoing, fluid, robust at times, thoughtful. And we’ve made progress, I don’t want to mislead anyone. I love to read and listen to all of the conjecture and speculation about where these negotiations are, but frankly I think about 95 percent of that speculation has probably been off point. I would characterize them as positive and encouraging.”
What is Wilson looking for? “I think what he’s looking for is what everyone’s looking for, and that’s a deal that f eels fair, that feels reasonable, and at the end of the day makes him feel comfortable with the compensation he’s receiving for the skill and the performance that he’s delivering.”
On what’s most important to Wilson. Being highest paid QB, guaranteed money, etc.? “I don’t think here is a most important issue. I think there are a plethora of issues you have to deal with… From my perspective you don’t got into that with that the goal. At the end of the day, I work for Russell, and at the end of the day, my goal is that when we’re finished, he’s satisfied with the result whatever that result is.”
On being known as a “baseball agent”: “I think to label me a baseball agent as though that may be a defect or a negative I think is inappropriate. I think I understand the collective bargaining agreement and the marketplace and the salary cap and the issues that will be relevant for us moving forward in our conversations. The one positive thing for the Seahawks is that maybe it brings a little bit different perspective to the negotiations.”
On a player signing early vs. going to free agency, Rodgers said in baseball he has a history of players doing well waiting to test free agency: “I’m a huge proponent of an open-market, free-agent economy… But (Wilson is) very, very happy to be in Seattle, loves playing for the Seahawks, loves playing for Pete Carroll, and understands that there’s something very special going on in this town, and would love to stay a part of that for a long, long time.”
On the idea of getting leverage: “I’m not looking for leverage, I’m not looking to figure out how I can beat these guys down, nor do I think they’re looking for that.”
“Leverage often times can turn into a threat, and none of our conversations have been threatening at all.”
On John Schneider’s comments earlier this offseason about “Thinking outside the box” with Wilson’s contract, which many interpreted as him saying they want to pay Wilson less than top dollar: “I don’t begrudge John for wanting to do that… Frankly I think he’s doing a darn good job at what he’s doing.”
On pressure to get a deal done: ‘I think it’s really, really important here… Neither side has any real deadlines. I know the public and the fans and media have put a sense of urgency on this, but there really are no deadlines. Russell Wilson is under contract, and he absolutely if he has to would be fine playing his fourth year under a four year contract, then moving on from there. I don’t feel any particularly crunch on time.
On Wilson’s status among elite QBs: “I’m not going to negotiate on the radio, but in general, to me, the most important thing about any quarterback, it’s all about winning. At the end of the day, you can be the greatest quarterback in the National Football League, but if you’re team’s not winning… there’s value in winning, that’s the key element. For me, I look at how he operates in an offense that to some degree caters to his skills… He does exactly what he’s expected to do to keep the team moving at a high level.”
On Wilson being willing to play out his contract vs. getting a big payday now: “This didn’t sneak up on us. Financially we have planed long-term for him to play for the $1.5 million, so there isn’t any expectation of additional money coming in from the Seahawks this coming year. Russell doesn’t have a mortgage, he doesn’t have a car payment. We’ve kept those things out of the realm for him… Can he play through it? I will tell you that the fans and media are much more concerned about how he will handle this than he is. This isn’t what Russell and I talk about every day, this isn’t something that is foremost on his mind. He had a phenomenal offseason… His mindset is to go back to the Super Bowl and win, and that’s really been the predominant mindset. These negations are not going to determine how he approaches his day-to-day job, which is being the starting quarterback or the Seattle Seahawks. I think you’ll find that he’ll be the same person regardless of how much money he’s making, whether he gets an extension or not.
On what’s next: “I think there really is not one particular next step. Certainly the next thing that will happen is that (Seahawks VP/Football Administration, AKA, cap guy) Matt Thomas and I will have a conversation soon… That step is taken regularly, and ideally we’re introducing new information at times.
“For Russell Wilson… He’s going to work hard at getting himself prepared to be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks and trying to get the team back to the Super Bowl. That is not going to change no matter what Mark Rodger and Matt Thomas and John Schneider do. That’s going to stay the same every day. That’s the best news I can give everybody. I can’t promise anything else.”
On if Rodgers thinks a deal will get done this offseason: “That’s a great question. I am a Seahawks fan because I love the way the organization’s run… I tend to be very, very optimistic, in our business you have to be, so as long as I’m talking with the Seahawks, it’s with a ton of optimism.”
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