Seahawks Rumors: Leonard Williams Unlikely to Sign Contract During Season After Trade

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams may just be a rental for the Seattle Seahawks.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Williams, who is in the final year of his contract, remains unlikely to sign an extension with the Seahawks during the regular season even though they traded a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the New York Giants for him.

"We've watched him for a long time and have known him for a good while, a Trojan and all that," Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters after landing Williams in a trade. "He's a fantastic football player. He's the kind of guy that can make a difference in games. He's really a nice player."

The USC product entered the league as the No. 6 overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft.

He played four-plus seasons with the New York Jets before they traded him to the Giants during the 2019 campaign. The Giants agreed to a three-year deal with Williams ahead of the 2021 season and decided to get something back in return for him before potential free agency with the pre-deadline trade this year.

The 2016 Pro Bowler has 21 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one pass defended in eight games this season, which is a far cry from when he was a Pro Bowler in 2016 or dominant defensive force in 2020 with 11.5 sacks.

Seattle is surely hoping the change of scenery and move to a playoff contender can help him rediscover his form, especially for a defense that is a middling 16th in the league in yards allowed per game.

The Seahawks have games against Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford coming up in the near future, so bolstering their defensive line with someone who has reached double-digit sacks in a season in the past was an ideal move.

There may not be an imminent contract extension coming, but Williams can still help them parlay their current NFC West lead into a deep playoff run if he plays like he did in the recent past.