‘Compromise’ got Duane Brown back for Seahawks, and Russell Wilson mended fences with him
Duane Brown was exchanging pleasantries with reporters at the start of his first talk with them in eight months.
“Good to see you guys,” Brown said Wednesday.
From the back of the auditorium inside Seahawks headquarters, Bobby Wagner heard that.
“Great to see you, too,” the All-Pro linebacker yelled back at the Seahawks’ eldest player.
It is indeed great for the Seahawks to see their best offensive lineman on the field practicing again, for the first time since January.
Even better for Russell Wilson.
The quarterback who said last month publicly, twice, his team had to “figure out” Brown’s contract situation to get him back on the field will have the 14th-year, Pro Bowl veteran left tackle protecting him again Sunday in Seattle’s season opener at Indianapolis.
“My man,” Brown said of Wilson.
Brown’s not back because he got what he wanted.
He returned to practicing this week for the first time in eight months, ending his “hold in” of not practicing throughout the Seahawks’ offseason workouts, training camp and preseason. He said he intended to play in the opener throughout the four months he skipped practicing, no matter what he got out of doing so.
What he got from the Seahawks: more guaranteed money for this year.
But it’s not what he still wants: future financial security through a new deal for 2022 and beyond.
“What we came to wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but, you know, it’s OK. It’s a business,” Brown said. “We came to a compromise.
“I’m happy about it. They are happy about it. Now I’m ready to get to work.”
That compromise was Seattle essentially giving Brown an additional $2 million for this season. The team converted per-game roster bonuses Brown’s contract had called for him to receive by the game into up-front cash, guaranteed. That raised his base pay from $10 million to $11.6 million for 2021. He could earn additional performance bonuses to push his total pay for this year to about $12 million.
“I had my expectations for what I wanted. And they had in their minds what they thought they could get done,” Brown said.
The rub
What exactly did he want?
“Just long term, something more. Something past this year,” the 36-year-old veteran said. “I mean, I’m feeling good. I feel I am continuing to play at a high level. And I want to continue to do that here.
“But, it didn’t quite work out that way.
“It’s all good. There’s never been any bad blood, on my end. I love and respect everybody in this organization. And the feeling is mutual.”
League sources have told The News Tribune the Seahawks remain reluctant to give Brown a new contract 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.
The Seahawks may entertain thoughts of a short-term deal with him after the season.
Asked if he’s received any assurances of that revisit of a new contract after this year, Brown said: “Yeah, we talked about it. Obviously, you know, they don’t know how that’s going to work out.
“That’s OK. I’m not worried about after the season right now. Now that the ink’s dry, I’m all about this week, and this year, and being the best I can be for this team.”
Brown’s contract ending was only one of his issues from this offseason.
Wilson was another.
Fence-mending with Wilson
The $140 million franchise quarterback loudly said in February after being frustrated at watching another Super Bowl instead of playing in it, for the sixth consecutive year, that “I’m frustrated with getting hit too much.”
If you think Brown noticed that, and that Wilson had some mending to do to Brown, you are correct.
Brown said he talked to Wilson soon after Wilson’s comments.
“Oh, yeah, of course I did,” Brown said. “You guys saw what came up. I had to talk to him.
“We had a good conversation. Obviously, there was some stuff said after the Super Bowl.”
Brown said Wilson reached out to him. That was after the quarterback’s comments created a league-wide, manufactured drama from winter into spring. The soap opera included Wilson’s agent Mark Rodgers telling ESPN there were four teams — the Raiders, Saints, Bears and Cowboys — Wilson would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to, if the Seahawks ever wanted to trade him.
They absolutely did not, and never did.
Wilson has since said much of all that offseason breathlessness about his future was overblown, that “I hope to play my whole career here.”
And he wants Brown protecting him.
Last month, Wilson said of his tackle’s impasse with the Seahawks: “We’ve got to figure that out, because we need Duane Brown.”
Brown appreciated that.
“It meant a lot. Russ is my guy,” Brown said. “It meant a lot to me. He didn’t have to do that. His legacy here is set in stone.
“It just goes to show how much he appreciates the work I put in. I love that guy. That’s another reason why I said I didn’t want to miss some games, because I wanted to be out there working for him, as well.”
Back, for now
Many within the Seahawks’ headquarters believed entering the offseason this final year of his contract would be the last of Brown’s career. They thought he would retire following his 14th season. That was why Seattle used one of its franchise record-low three picks in this spring’s draft on a left tackle. Stone Forsythe from the University of Florida was to be Brown’s understudy for 2021 with the hopes of potentially replacing him in 2022.
Then, before the team’s organized team activities began in May, Brown told the Seahawks he wanted to play next year, past his 37th and potentially 38th birthdays, and for Seattle. The team had not budgeted a top salary for Brown for 2022 and beyond.
“I think some people thought I might hang ‘em up,” Brown said.
“People that saw my film thought otherwise.”
He flashed a wide grin at that.
“I felt like my film didn’t show that I was just holding on, you know what I mean?” he said of his last couple Seahawks seasons. “I don’t feel like I was out there just trying to hold on from week to week. I feel like I was dominant, and I think a lot people felt that way. A lot of my peers felt that way. I felt that way.
“So, obviously, I didn’t want to walk away from this game then. I don’t want to walk away from the game this year. I feel better this year than I did last year. That’s been my thought process.
“I’m just ready to go. Keep doing what I do. Keep producing.”
Now, instead of 2018 fifth-round pick Jamarco Jones or Forsythe at left tackle against Deforest Buckner and the Colts, Brown will be where he’s been since Seattle traded with Houston for him four years ago.
Brown has been with the team throughout his hold in, attending meetings, participating in morning walkthrough practices with Wilson and the starting offense. He’s been training in the team’s weight room and running sprints up the grass hill outside it.
He says he’s in great shape. His challenge in practices Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is to get back “into the speed” of playing in an NFL game.
“I’m excited,” he said. “Football is my life. This team is amazing. I respect what I do. I respect this organization. I respect my teammates. I respect the fans. I respect everything about it.
“I’ve put in a lot of work to perform at a high level every week, and I don’t take that for granted. So to be able to be back and contribute, be amongst the guys, practice, play on Sunday. It means everything to me.
“The last few weeks? It’s been interesting.”
This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 3:08 PM.
