The Seattle Seahawks were issued a deadline on Russell Wilson’s new deal.

The big question going around the NFL at the moment is “will Russell Wilson finish his career in with the Seattle Seahawks?” Back in January, their veteran franchise quarterback made it clear to the team that he wants to get a new deal done this offseason. Specifically by April 15th. Yes, there is a deadline, and no, the Seahawks are not surprised by this.

Wilson is set to take on his contract year, and like many quarterbacks, he wants to know that he’s locked into something long-term a year before the real negotiation time. If not, we can expect hold outs, demanded trades, and a potential re-signing elsewhere.

Will the Seahawks let this one slip through the cracks? Probably not. But we’ve seen crazier things happen. However, keeping Wilson happy should be the number one priority for the Seahawks right now.

And not just because he’s the quarterback, but because he’s easily been the most valuable player on their team for quite a while now. We’ve seen the Seahawks lose some big names like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Marshawn Lynch, but I highly doubt that Wilson joins that club.

Seahawks must pay the guy

The former third-round pick just wrapped up his seventh season for Seattle. Although the Seahawks got bounced in the first round of the playoffs, it was still impressive that they were there in the first place. Considering the fact that the Seahawks were believed to be in ‘re-build’ mode for the 2018 season, their playoff appearance alone made it a successful year.

Would the Seahawks have sniffed the playoffs without Wilson leading the pack on offense? It’s highly doubtful. Not only is Wilson simply one of the most talented dual-threat quarterbacks in the game, but he’s tough as nails. Seattle hasn’t helped Wilson out much in quite a few years when it comes to an offensive line or a steady run game. But he’s still found ways crank out 30-plus touchdown seasons over the last two seasons.

Not to mention, Wilson hasn’t missed a game for the Seahawks since… ever. Since his NFL arrival in 2012, Wilson has started and played in 112 out of 112 games. That includes 13 playoff games. Although availability is half the battle, he’s no scrub while he’s in.

In five of his seven total seasons, Wilson has been chosen as a Pro Bowl candidate. He may be turning 31 in November, but Wilson’s got plenty of gas left in the tank, and is fitting to be a top-tier quarterback for even more years to come. Losing Wilson would be the worst thing to happen to the Seahawks ever. He deserves everything he needs.

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