Pete Carroll: ‘I’m counting on’ holding-in Duane Brown starting Seahawks’ opener
Pete Carroll gave the strongest signal yet from any Seahawk that invaluable, “holding-in” left tackle Duane Brown will play the team’s opener in two weekends.
“I’m counting on him,” Seattle’s coach said Wednesday. “I’m counting on him being ready.”
Then again, that’s obvious.
Carroll, every Seahawk — heck, all who know the team’s colors are blue and green — are counting on it not being Jamarco Jones, Cedric Ogbeuhi or rookie Stone Forsythe protecting the blind side of $140 million franchise quarterback Russell Wilson from rushing Indianapolis Colts Sept. 12.
Two weeks ago, Carroll had said he was not concerned Brown might miss the Seahawks’ opening game.
“No,” Carroll said Aug. 20, “I’m not concerned about that.”
Wednesday, Brown was running sprints up the slanted grass berm adjacent to the practice fields following the team’s latest workout, 11 days before the first game. The 14-year, Pro Bowl veteran who turned 36 on Monday has been working out in and around the team facility, talking with franchise quarterback Russell Wilson and teammates, teaching Forsythe and others, throughout the preseason. But he’s been declining to practice.
Brown is the team’s best and most valuable protector of Wilson. He wants a contract beyond the one paying him $10 million in base salary for 2021, the final year of his deal.
Wilson stated publicly twice in August how much he wants — needs — Brown back on his offensive line.
“We’ve got to figure that out, because we need Duane Brown,” Wilson said Aug. 8. “We definitely want to get him back out there.”
Brown isn’t the only Seahawk who hasn’t been practicing because he wants a new deal. Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs began doing that last week. Diggs said Tuesday he expects to play in the opener, and for the Seahawks to address his concerns he’s stated to Carroll and other team decision-makers.
Last week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network was on KJR-AM radio with me and said “there has been some engagement” by Seattle’s front office in recent days in an attempt to get Brown to end his “hold in.”
Garafolo said Thursday in describing what he’s been told the Seahawks are trying to do with Brown: “Maybe you sweeten the deal or offer some kind of incentives for the coming season...something creative.”
League sources have told The News Tribune that so far the Seahawks remain reluctant to give Brown a new deal beyond 2021. This will be the first NFL regular season to go 17 games. The team wants Brown finish the entire season, they hope deep into January and the playoffs, then see if he still wants to play past his 37th and perhaps 38th birthdays. They may entertain thoughts of a short-term deal with him after the season.
Brown, of course, wants a new deal now. He wants the security of knowing he will have a job and top left-tackle money for next year before he plays this one.
Can’t blame him for that.
Can’t blame the Seahawks for wanting to wait, either.
Unlike the massive extension they gave All-Pro safety Jamal Adams last month, the Seahawks haven’t planned for costs dedicated to Brown for 2022 and ‘23. Entering this offseason, some with the team expected this to be Brown’s final season. The thought was he’d play through his contract and retire at age 36 having earned $94 million as a four-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time All-Pro for Houston (2008-17) and Seattle (‘17-’21). The Seahawks took Forsythe from the University of Florida with one of their franchise record-low three selections in April’s draft, thinking he could learn this first year under Brown then potentially become his heir.
Instead, Brown surprised the Seahawks this spring by telling them he felt fantastic — he said last year that taking up yoga and stretching more in changed workouts have revitalized and renewed him — and that he wanted to play in 2022 and perhaps beyond.
Hence, the team’s idea to perhaps “sweeten,” to use Garafolo’s word, Brown’s $10 million base salary for 2021 with, say, a few million dollars more above that.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 6:50 PM.
