“Seahawks Reveal Financial Commitment to 32-Year-Old Player”

With just a week left until the 2024 NFL Draft grabs the spotlight for three days, fans of teams across the league are eagerly anticipating the future with optimism.

While the draft’s youthful prospects loom on the horizon, teams are internally evaluating players recovering from 2023 injuries and offseason surgeries, and assessing new free agent signings.

For the Seattle Seahawks, this evaluation process includes former Pro Bowl guard Laken Tomlinson, whom the team announced they signed on Monday. As Tomlinson joins the team for the first time, fans now have access to the details of his contract.

More on Laken Tomlinson's one-year deal with the Seahawks, via sources:

-$1.21M base value
-$500K GTD
-Up to $2.79M in incentives

Incentives:

-$1.29M for 90% playing time
-$750K more for 95%
-$250K for making playoffs
-$250K more for making divisional round
-$250K for Pro Bowl

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) April 18, 2024

As reported by Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Tomlinson’s contract features a base salary of $1.21 million, significantly lower than the initially reported “up to $4 million” figure. However, Brady Henderson of ESPN sheds light on the incentives included in the contract that could potentially increase its value to $4 million.

Notably, Tomlinson played every offensive snap for the Jets in 2023, suggesting that his playing time incentives might be considered “likely to be earned” and would impact the 2024 salary cap if solely based on playing time. It’s probable that these incentives are classified as “not likely to be earned,” likely due to some qualifier attached to them. This could involve factors such as playing time coupled with the Seattle offense averaging 16 or more points per game.

In any case, the Seahawks now have a seasoned interior offensive lineman under contract with minimal guarantees, providing them with flexibility as they approach their draft selections.