The Seattle Seahawks have finally come to terms with their star wide receiver DK Metcalf, locking him up with a 3-year, $72 million extension.
While the money and years aren't completely shocking, there's some nuance that went into the negotiations between both sides once you go deeper into the structure of the deal.
NFL analyst Mike Florio provided an inside look at what exactly the terms are within DK Metcalf's new contract, which starts off with a signing bonus worth $30 million:
1. Signing bonus: $30 million.
2. 2022 base salary: $1 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2023 option bonus: $12 million, guaranteed for injury, fully guaranteed on the fifth day after the start of the 2023 waiver period.
4. 2023 base salary: $2.22 million, guaranteed for injury, fully guaranteed on the fifth day after the start of the 2023 waiver period.
5. 2024 base salary: $13 million, guaranteed for injury, fully guaranteed on the fifth day following the start of the 2024 waiver period.
6. 2025 base salary: $18 million.
One interesting aspect of the deal are the conditions behind DK Metcalf's guarantees in the next two seasons. While not completely guaranteed, his rights on his money vest in 2023 and 2024 not long after the beginning of the offseason. The provisions act as precaution just in case Metcalf suffers serious injuries, but there's not likely to be a scenario that drastic wherein the Seahawks decide to cut ties with their young, rising wideout.
According to Florio, the deal also includes the highest signing bonus of any wide receiver in NFL history. While DK Metcalf is still a ways away from being in the upper echelon of wide receivers in the league, it's his youth and potential that make him worth that kind of money. The Seahawks' 2019 second-round pick is still just 24 and is young enough to still be an integral piece for Seattle's next playoff push post Russell Wilson.