Russell Wilson Reportedly Has Insurance Policy in Case of Career-Ending Injury

The Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson are going through sluggish contract negotiations that could force the franchise quarterback to play out the final year of his rookie deal. He reportedly took out an insurance policy for protection, should he suffer a career-ending injury.

Adam Schefter of ESPN noted the presence of the extra financial protection, which he reports is "worth millions." Spotrac lists Wilson as having a base salary of around $1.5 million for the 2015 season, well below the market value for a top-end quarterback.

As for what's preventing the sides from reaching an agreement on a long-term deal, guaranteed money is apparently the biggest factor. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times passed along an update from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network:

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Really, the main arguments here, the main disagreements as far as the contract negotiations that have been going on between Russell Wilson and the Seahawks center on guaranteed money. Based on the people I'm talking to, it is still stuck in Russell Wilson's head that the contract extension he signs doesn't just make him the highest paid quarterback in the NFL but also is highly, highly guaranteed; more like a contract that say a baseball player or a basketball player would get.

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"There’s no deadline, no pressure," said Wilson's agent, Mark Rodgers, Wilson's agent, when asked about negotiations by Peter King of Sports Illustrated. "Russell has a contract for this season, and he is fully prepared to play the season out if he does not sign another contract. It's early June. They don't report to camp till late July. I've always assumed this contract would take a while to get done."

"Sometimes, the best deal is the deal you don't do. For me, there would be a greater disappointment in taking a below-market deal than there would be in honoring the fourth year of a contract," Rodgers added, via King. 

Wilson, 26, has led the Seahawks to a pair of NFC championships and a Super Bowl title in just three seasons. He's thrown 72 touchdowns and rushed for 11 more in 48 regular-season games and currently holds a career passer rating of 98.6, a terrific mark.

So it's no surprise that he's holding out for a monster contract extension. He could technically become an unrestricted free agent after next season, but Seattle would still have the option to use the franchise tag twice before he would reach the open market.

David Goldman/Associated Press

By taking out insurance against a career-ending injury, it limits the potential downside of continuing to play under his current deal while waiting for the right offer. The exact size of the policy is unclear, but he still has at least a decade of earning potential in the NFL.

Ultimately, this news probably won't have any impact on negotiations with the Seahawks, but it provides some mind-easing stability for Wilson amid an uncertain situation.