Russell Wilson Divorce: After Breakup with Wife Ashton, New Contract Could Be Highest Ever
Not to be crass or assume the worst, but financially speaking Russell Wilson's divorce from his wife Ashton comes at the best possible time. As a Super Bowl winning quarterback, Wilson is earning a paltry $662,000 plus bonuses. But in the coming years experts say he will be making up to $25 Million annually, the highest salary ever paid in the NFL. When the time comes to sign a new contract his accountant might be secretly glad the breakup happened before the money started rolling in. He might not keep it a secret.
If Wilson reasonably approaches expectations he will be sitting pretty when his rookie contract expires in 2015. Especially if Seattle wants to hold on to him. He will basically be able to write his own check (via USA Today):
"Assuming that Wilson doesn't completely fall apart in 2014, it's hard not to see him dwarfing those numbers with his own deal by this time next summer. In two seasons he's already won one Super Bowl, holds a better overall quarterback rating and arguably has done more with less offensive weapons in Seattle."
Wilson's San Francisco counterpart Colin Kaepernick just signed an unusual deal potentially worth $126 Million. It is possibly the lowest guarantee a starting quarterback has ever seen, though there are ample performance bonuses. But Russell Wilson already has a Super Bowl ring, and the reputation that makes him a perfect candidate for product endorsements (via Seattle Pi):
"So if Kaepernick - a quarterback who's helped his team to two-straight NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance in just a year and a half as a starter - is worth $21 million per year, what kind of cash could a quarterback with a 4-1 playoff record over his first two seasons - including a Super Bowl win - command?
"According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, up to $25 million per season...
"That would make Wilson the highest paid quarterback in NFL history today."
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