By IlliniGuys Staff

August 15, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Dean Ruiz/The Seattle Times)

Devon Witherspoon made history Saturday morning.

The former Illinois All-American agreed to a four-year, $132 million contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks, according to ESPN. The deal includes $101 million in guaranteed money and makes the 25-year old the highest paid cornerback in NFL history.

Witherspoon arrived at Illinois in 2019 as a zero-star recruit, but in his four years in Champaign developed into one of the top defensive backs in the country.

That led to a No. 5 overall pick by Seattle in the 2023 NFL Draft and the Florida native has lived up to that status, earning Pro Bowl status in all three of his seasons with the Seahawks. He ran an interception back 97 yards for a touchdown in his debut season in which he landed on the NFL's All-Rookie team.

Witherspoon keyed a defense that gave up the fewest points in the league in 2025 on the way to a Super Bowl win over New England.

He isn't the first Illini defensive back to sign for big money. Former teammate Kerby Joseph signed a four-year, $86 million extension with Detroit just prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, which briefly made him the highest-paid safety in league history.