Seahawks solidify offensive line by signing center Justin Britt to extension

SEATTLE – The Seahawks signed center Justin Britt to a three-year contract extension Thursday, keeping him with them through the 2020 season and marking their most significant investment in one of their offensive linemen since 2012.

Reports from the NFL Network and others have stated it will be a three-year deal worth $27 million with Britt paid $13.25 million in the first year.

The Seahawks officially announced the signing following Thursday’s practice.

Based on a per-year average of $9 million, the contract makes Britt tied for the third-highest paid center in the NFL, according to OvertheCap.com, behind Jacksonville’s Brandon Linder ($10.4 million) and Dallas’ Travis Frederick ($9.4 million) and tied with Atlanta’s Alex Mack ($9 million). However, Britt’s contract was a little lighter on guaranteed money with the NFL Network’s reporting it includes just $5 million fully guaranteed at signing and $15 million in injury guarantees.

Linder signed his deal last month, which might have added some urgency to the Seahawks to get something done with Britt before the center market potentially increased even more.

Britt, a second-round pick in 2014 out of Missouri, became the team’s starting center last season after playing at tackle as a rookie and guard in 2015, and was named as a Pro Bowl alternate, finally solidifying a spot that had been in flux since the trade of Max Unger in the spring of 2015. Britt was entering the final season of his initial four-year rookie contract signed in 2014 that paid him a total of $3.5 million.

Britt becomes the first of the 16 offensive linemen the team has drafted since Carroll became coach in 2010 that the team has signed to a contract extension, and the first offensive lineman of any kind to receive a significant extension with the team since Unger in 2012. Unger, who was drafted in 2009, signed a four-year extension worth almost $25 million in 2012.

Since then, the team has let the likes of J.R. Sweezy, James Carpenter and Russell Okung sign as free agents elsewhere.

But Carroll has insisted the team has wanted to retain the offensive linemen that it felt were worth keeping given other salary cap constraints and Britt fits that bill having become the leader of a young unit and at 26 years old just entering his prime.

“He has been a fantastic leader for us up there,” Carroll said. “He had an excellent season. He has played three spots for us and started at tackle, guard and center now and we feel he is really in the best spot for him and I think it is just a recognition and acknowledgment of the player and the teammate that he has become for us and also the fact that we were able to do it on the offensive line, it is important to note that. I don’t want to try to dissuade you from thinking that it’s a statement that we want to make sure and take care of these guys. Justin has done everything that we need him to do – been a great teammate – and if this comes to pass I am thrilled we are able to reward him. I feel it is very much in line with all of things that we have done in the past. It just happens to go into that spot and right in the center of it all and really fired up about that.”

Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com said without seeing all the details of the contract (which typically become available in a few days) he thought it was a fair deal for both sides.

“Since it’s only three years in length, it should mean (the Seahawks) can walk away before his salary really kicks into the upper echelon,” Fitzgerald said. “If he plays well it’s generally a slow-growth position with salaries anyway so they can probably extend for close to the same cost.”

Britt is the second player the team has signed to an extension since the beginning of training camp – the Seahawks also re-signed safety Kam Chancellor to a three-year deal worth up to $36 million.

Quarterback Russell Wilson expressed his happiness over the deal via Twitter, stating: “Boom!!!! Nobody more deserving than you JB! Glad to have you protecting for 4 more years my friend!”

When camp began, Britt had expressed confidence that a deal would get done.

“I’m not worrying about it,” he said. “I’m just here to play ball.”

He will now continue to do so with the Seahawks for a few more years.