Russell Wilson Changes Agents as Contract Negotiations Loom

Eligible to sign a new contract after the 2014 NFL season, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has reportedly decided to sign a new agent.          

ESPN's Adam Schefter has the news:

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In a memo the NFL sent teams today, it informed them that Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, eligible for a new deal after this season, is changing agents, per sources.

Another source said that Wilson is likely to go with his baseball agent, Mark Rodgers. Wilson did speak recently with his former NFL agent Bus Cook, and praised Cook but wanted to keep all his business with one agent, thus the change.

A source close to Wilson said Cook was not fired, but simply the quarterback was making a change.

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It's an interesting move, and it's another indication that Wilson will indeed be looking for a big contract extension in the offseason. 

One of the best bargains in the NFL, the dynamic dual-threat quarterback—still on his rookie contract—has a base salary of $662,434 this season and $798,651 in 2015, per Spotrac.com. Seattle would obviously like to keep him on that contract for as long as possible, and as former Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers front office executive Vinny Cerrato explained, via The Washington Post's Mark Maske, the 'Hawks could try to sell their star on building a more balanced roster.

“When you look at Seattle’s model, when you’ve got a cheap quarterback for a while, you keep him cheap so you can get other pieces," Cerrato said. "I’d try to get more pieces. And that’s what I’d tell him.” 

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Still, while Seattle has benefited in the last couple of years from having some of the league's best players on rookie contracts, it has also shown a willingness to reward its most deserving players. John Schneider and Co. doled out huge extensions for Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman this spring, and they likely won't hesitate to do the same with their franchise QB. 

The team's Twitter feed and NFL on ESPN recently noted Seattle's success since Wilson moved under center:

Wilson, an electrifying playmaker, is going to get paid no matter who stands as his agent. Comparatively, Andy Dalton received $115 million over six years in August. 

If he can lead the Seahawks to a second consecutive Super Bowl, he'll surely become one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.