K.J. Wright, who just signed a four-year, $27 million contract, was understandably in a good mood when he med with reporters prior to Thursday’s practice. Here’s a bit of what he said about the deal, which was finalized Wednesday night:
“It’s just a blessing to know the Seahawks want me here for a long period of time. Coach Carroll called me the night before and explained how much I mean to the team being a leader; I talked to Schneider. I love it here, they drafted me, this just feel like home.”
Wright, who was in the final year of his rookie deal, said they had been discussing a new contract since spring: “Later in the season I started getting a little worried it wasn’t going to get done, that I might be a free agent, but they came to me, we worked something out and everybody’s happy.”
While Wright said before the season he wouldn’t let his contract status be a distraction, he can admit now that it weight on him a bit.
“The more the season goes on, it’s only human nature to kind of think about, ‘Am I going to be here or am I not?’” Wright said. “But I didn’t try to let it affect me too much. For the most part I stayed focused on football and let my agent handle all that stuff.”
On being the latest of a young nucleus to re-sign following Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin, “We play so well together and we get along so good, we’ve got to keep these guys around. It only makes sense to have the guys you drafted just keep growing and developing as football players. I’m glad they chose me to stick around and I’m going to be nothing but the best player I can be on and off the field.”
“For the most part they stick to their word, and he said he was going to find a way to make it happen. I trusted them and I believed them, and I’m glad everything worked out.”
Chancellor then interrupted the press conference to ask what Wright would buy with his millions.
“First big purchase?,” Wright said. “Something for mamma. It ain’t going to be for me, I’ve got to hook momma up with something. I don’t know yet, I’ll surprise her.”
Asked if any part of him wanted to test free agency, Wright admitted he was a bit curious to test the waters.
“I’m not going to lie, it would have been kind of nice to see what other teams thought of you, see what your value was, but like I said, I love it here,” he said. “I didn’t want to go anywhere else, I didn’t want to, but at the same time, you think, ‘I wonder what other teams think about K.J. Wright?’ But I’m happy with my decision, I love it here, and I’m looking forward to the next couple of years.”
Asked if he thinks he might have taken a hometown discount to re-sign now rather than wait for free agency, Wright said he in fact was willing to settle for less.
“You know what, I had a number in my head that I wanted, and they actually exceeded that number, so I was happy with that,” Wright said. “They went above what expected I was going to get.”
Asked about how far he has come since being a fourth-round pick, Wright said, “I was talking to Coach Norton about that. When I first got here, I wasn’t that good. They didn’t expect too much out of me when they drafted me, but I’ve come a lot way, in my mind; I’ve started multiple positions and played really good football. Coach Norton, I give a lot of credit to him, I give a lot of credit to my teammates, they made me better as a football player. Everybody’s a part of the success.”
On getting to the big payday that comes with a second contract: “This is big. Every time a player gets drafted, he looks forward to his big day. Most people never get to see this; I’m extremely blessed to be able to stay healthy and play good and reach this point. I’ve just got to keep playing hard, I can’t get comfortable with this. It’s only the beginning. I’ve just got to keep getting better as a football player.”
On if the money will change him: “I’m going to play just as hard and be the same football player out there. Just because I got this doesn’t mean I’m going to change.”
On if he thinks his versatility helped him earn the contract: “It’s helped me out tremendously. They know I can do whatever they ask of me. The more you can do, the more you’re worth.”
On the core group of defenders getting locked up one-by-one: “It’s good. They pretty much tell you how they’re going to take care of guys and it was my turn. It feels good to see each guy get what they deserve, and just to feel appreciated, because most guys were late-round guys. When you know that the coaches want you here, it feels good and gives you a sense of pride that these guys respect me on and off the field.”
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