The Seattle Seahawks are already working on another piece of business involving the defense that carried them to a Super Bowl title.
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leonard Williams confirmed Tuesday that his agents and Seattle have discussed a new contract, via ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Adam Schefter amplified the update on X Wednesday morning, reporting that Williams is in “conversations” with the Seahawks about a new deal.
Williams is entering the final season of the three-year, $64.5 million contract he signed with Seattle in March 2024.
The 32-year-old has strengthened his case for another commitment since then, becoming one of the most important pieces in Mike Macdonald’s defense and helping the Seahawks finish last season with the NFL’s stingiest scoring unit.
The talks give Seattle a chance to address Williams’ future before one of its most accomplished defenders reaches free agency next March.
Williams Has Played His Way Into Another Seahawks Deal
GettyKeeping front-seven disruptors like Williams on the move worked wonders for the Seahawks in 2025.
Williams’ production has held up deep into his career.
He followed an 11-sack season in 2024 with seven sacks and 62 tackles over 17 games in 2025.
He earned another Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors as Seattle went 14-3, secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed and eventually beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.
His impact is also well-understood.
ESPN’s annual survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts ranked Williams as the league’s No. 1 defensive tackle earlier this month.
An NFL coordinator told ESPN that Williams was “the most important player on that Super Bowl team” and called him “the total package.”
The Seahawks’ own numbers support that assessment.
Since arriving in the 2023 trade with the Giants, Williams has recorded 22 sacks, 167 tackles, 34 tackles for loss and 67 quarterback hits in two-plus seasons with Seattle.
That stretch has coincided with the best football of his career.
Williams reached double-digit sacks only once in his first nine NFL seasons.
He has since produced 18 sacks over the past two years while becoming anchoring a defense that allowed a league-low 292 points in 2025.
And Pro Football Focus credited Williams with 58 pressures in 2025, the fourth-most among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen, while his 75.3 overall defensive grade ranked 11th at the position.
New Deal Could Help Seahawks Keep Their Defense Together
GettyTOPSHOT – Seattle Seahawks’ defensive tackle #99 Leonard Williams celebrates on the field after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 8, 2026. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP via Getty Images)
There is also a financial reason for Seattle to address the situation now.
Williams carries a $29.6 million cap hit in 2026, according to Spotrac’s contract breakdown.
Seattle restructured his contract before the 2025 season by converting salary into a bonus and adding two void years, a move that created immediate room but pushed additional charges into the future.
Over the Cap lists $9.37 million in prorated money tied to those void years if Williams’ contract expires after this season.
A new agreement could keep one of Seattle’s best defenders in place while giving the front office more flexibility with how those charges are handled.
The Seahawks have other major extensions to consider.
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon is also in negotiations after Seattle exercised his fifth-year option, and the roster contains several young defenders who could command significant deals in the coming years.
Williams is a different case because of his age, but his recent efforts makes the conversation tricky to put on the back burner.
Seattle already knows what Williams looks like in Macdonald’s system.
These talks now come down to how long the Seahawks are willing to invest in a player whose best stretch has arrived after his 30th birthday.
Trying to contend for championship again, Seattle likely needs to keep that level of disruption in the middle of the defense.
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