One of the reasons why the Seattle Seahawks were able to get Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts for such a cheap cost is that Nelson is going to be a free agent in less than five months. Expiring contracts are easier to move and easier to absorb. But that expiring contract begs the question of whether this union extends beyond this season.

Will There Be An Extension?

Let’s start here. Quenton Nelson is 30 years old and still in the conversation for best left guard in football. You can definitely extend him and fully expect him to deliver elite results for the foreseeable future. However, there’s no guarantee of him panning out over the next few months, and there might not be the money to extend him either way. This is fine as well.

If Nelson walks in free agency in March, he’ll most certainly command a massive contract on the open market. And as long as the Seahawks are quiet in free agency (as they pretty much always are), that contract should net them a 2028 third round pick. That comes close to negating the trade assets you gave up to get Nelson in the first place.

Can The Seahawks Afford Him?

Generally speaking, if an NFL team really wants to afford someone, they can find a way. But those ways can be painful, and not every GM is willing to play that game. The good news is, the Seahawks should be able to afford this pretty easily with the $31.6 million OverTheCap estimates they currently have in 2027 cap space. But that’s not the whole picture.

Byron Murphy looms as a massive extension candidate next offseason, which will be a noticeable expenditure in 2027 and then a massive one beyond. AJ Barner might need a deal as well. Extensions may also come for players like Julian Love, Ernest Jones, and Drake Thomas, which could save some short-term money but bring on big long-term hits.

However, several players are almost certainly sliding off the books. Cooper Kupp, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Jarran Reed may retire, and if they don’t it’s unlikely the Seahawks will carry them at their cap hits. That alone frees up tens of millions. If Nelson proves himself indispensable to the success of this team, there will be money for it.

What Is The Extension?

Peter Skoronski is the current record-holder for average annual value for an offensive guard, with $25 million per on the deal he signed last offseason. Tyler Smith and Matthew Bergeron got $24 million recently. However, those players were in their mid 20s when signing those deals, which is standard for NFL players. Nelson will be 31 next March.

In 2025, Joe Thuney got an extension from the Chicago Bears worth $17.5 million a year at 32 years old, which is the best any guard over the age of 28 has done. Nelson will be blitzing right past that number. But I don’t believe he’ll set the guard market. Spotrac estimates a four year, $96.4 million contract. That’s pretty believable to me.

Don’t expect closure on this issue anytime soon, however. John Schneider has established a clear pattern of trading for players without having an extension in place. The player has to prove they fit in and work well first. This might end up remaining in limbo until March. But it’ll be a fun experiment for the next few months to see how well it works.

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