Cowboys Named ‘Good’ Candidate to Sign Seahawks $45 Million Starter
The Seattle Seahawks have numerous difficult decisions to make this offseason. With an all-new coaching staff, it’s difficult to predict which of their 14 pending free agents they will keep.
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks is considered the team’s second most valuable pending agent behind Leonard Williams. According to Spotrac.com, Brooks is projected to earn a four-year, $45 million contract.
Seattle’s former first-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft is a pending free agent after the Seahawks declined to pick up his fifth-year option last offseason. Brooks’ option would have locked him into a fully guaranteed $12.72 million salary for 2024. Instead, after returning from an ACL tear suffered late in the 2022 season, he played the final year of his rookie contract with a base salary of just under $2.28 million.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler believes the Seahawks could lose Brooks to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. “Dallas could be in the market for a linebacker after last season’s struggles at the position,” Fowler wrote on March 3. “Jordyn Brooks, a Dallas-area native and one of the top free agent linebackers, would be a good fit.”
Bleacher Report’s Zach Bachar agrees. “Brooks could be a potential solution at the position moving forward, as he’s surpassed 110 combined tackles in each of his previous three seasons. He also recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2023, with eight total tackles for loss.”
Last season, Brooks tallied 111 total tackles, 5 quarterback hits, 4 passes defensed, and 1 interception for a pick-six. The Athletic’s Randy Mueller ranks him as the No. 5 best linebacker entering free agency.
As it stands, the Seahawks have approximately $7.1 million in effective cap space, which means general manager John Schneider has his work cut out. In addition to Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush are pending free agents. If all three walk, Seattle will not have a single linebacker with starting experience under contract in 2024.
When asked if he’d like to re-sign with Seattle after the season ended, “Of course,” Brooks said, per The Athletic’s Mike Dugar. “This has been home for me, the start of my career, so I would love to be back.”
