Seahawks Reworking Duane Brown's Deal Great News For Russell Wilson

Duane Brown #76 of the Seattle Seahawks congratulates Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks on his touchdown during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium on November 08, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. — (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

There was a time when Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks were nearing divorce.

The long-time quarterback shared his frustration about the lack of protection he was getting from the offensive line.

Emotions boiled over when the Seahawks lost their Wild Card matchup to the rival Los Angeles Rams at home last season.

The Seahawks trailed throughout that game, and the Rams defense got constant pressure from the line of scrimmage.

Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald got two sacks, and Leonard Floyd also had a couple of quarterback tackles.

Morgan Fox had one sack, and Darious Williams made an interception return for a touchdown.

Darious Williams' pick-six of Russell Wilson (intended for DK Metcalf) was the first interception on a WR screen pass of the entire 2020 season.#LARvsSEA | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/0HVtaWULBB

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 9, 2021

The successful Rams pass rush shortened Wilson’s time in finding his receivers downfield.

Either he scrambled out of the pocket to gain yards or released the throws sooner than he wanted.

Wilson finished with 11 completions for 174 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception at the game’s end.

The faulty blocking from the Seattle offensive line limited their third-down efficiency to 14 percent and their time of possession to a little over 26 minutes.

Seattle also committed nine penalties in that game, five against offensive linemen.

However, Duane Brown was one of the Seahawks players that maintained a clean slate.

Year 14 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/BFnYqNNWAK

— Duane Brown (@DuaneBrown76) September 7, 2021

The 36-year-old left tackle from Virginia Tech remains as the foundation of the team’s protection for Wilson.

He is a bright spot in an erstwhile dysfunctional line, and that’s why Wilson campaigned for the franchise to retain him.

But Brown wanted more guaranteed money because he knew that his NFL career was winding down.

Finally, both sides agreed to restructure his contract for the 2021 season.

It’s a matter of reassigning the money that he will collect to give him some financial security in the future.

Terms Of Brown’s Restructured Deal

Wilson can have that sigh of relief knowing that his trusted protector will return for another season.

Brown is a warrior on the field because he started 44 of the 48 Seahawks games since 2018, even if he was battling knee injuries.

As a reward, Seattle will be giving him $7 million as a guaranteed roster bonus and another $4 million in base salary.

It’s still the same amount that the Seahawks owe him for 2021.

But before the restructured deal, Brown would get a $10 million base salary that he receives in weekly payouts.

#Seahawks and LT Duane Brown have agreed to a reworked final year of his deal that pays a $7M signing bonus and $4 million in salary, per sources. No new money, but Brown gets more up front. With the adjustment made, Brown is back with the team after holding in.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 7, 2021

His new contract gives him more money upfront and an additional $2 million if he cannot play in 2022 due to injury.

This voidable year allows the Seahawks to soften his cap hit this season and list Brown’s $7 million bonus over two years.

It is a legal approach that gained popularity due to the reduced salary cap during the COVID-19 era.

Brown also has a $58,823 bonus for every regular season game he stays on the active roster.

Initially, the veteran left tackle wanted a contract extension prior to the season.

However, the Seahawks persuaded him to play out his final year before discussing the extension during the following offseason.