The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $90 million for defensive tackle Leonard Williams, with $56 million guaranteed. The deal makes Williams one of the highest-paid players at his position in the National Football League.
Williams, 32, was a significant contributor to the Seahawks' Super Bowl LX victory. He was acquired by the team in a mid-season trade with the New York Giants in 2023 and has since become a cornerstone of their defense. He earned Pro Bowl selections in both of his full seasons with the Seahawks and was named second-team All-Pro in 2025. In 2024, he recorded 11 sacks and a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown, the longest such play by a defensive lineman in NFL history.
The agreement comes just a day after NFL owners approved the $9.6 billion sale of the Seahawks to a group led by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla. Khosla, who is a limited partner of the San Francisco 49ers, will be required to sell his stake in that team.
Williams now ranks among the top defensive tackles in the league, tied for fifth in highest pay alongside Vita Vea of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who also recently signed an extension. He trails Jalen Carter, Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons, and Chris Jones in annual salary.
League executives, coaches, and scouts polled by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler identified Williams as the NFL's best defensive tackle and called him "the most important player on that Super Bowl team."
Williams was scheduled to become a free agent in 2027, but his new extension ensures he will remain with the Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions, through the 2029 season.