The bar has been set, meaning Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will likely become a $20-million-per-year quarterback starting in 2015.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick agreed to a six-year deal Wednesday worth $110 million, with $61 million guaranteed and a possible $16 million more in playoff incentives.
Kaepernick is starting his fourth NFL season, which is the spot Wilson will be in after the 2014 season, when he is eligible to renegotiate his rookie contract.
So Kaepernick's deal is a way to gauge what Wilson could ask for in his new contract. If you go by the statistics and the success, Wilson should probably get more than Kaepernick.
Wilson has a Super Bowl victory; Kaepernick has a Super Bowl loss. Kaepernick is 21-8 as the 49ers' starting quarterback. Wilson is 24-8 in the regular season and 4-1 in the playoffs.
Kaepernick threw for 3,197 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a quarterback rating of 91.6 last season, while Wilson threw for 3,357 yards, 26 TDs and nine interceptions for a QB rating of 101.2.
Wilson, who has a base salary of $662,000 for 2014, is second in NFL history with 52 TD passes in his first two seasons. Only Dan Marino had more, with 68.
By the numbers, Wilson has the edge. So if Kaepernick is paid an average of $18.3 million per year, plus playoff incentives, it’s logical to assume Wilson is worth $20 million per year at minimum.
Obviously, some of this will depend on how well Wilson plays in 2014. If he leads the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl, the price goes up. If he doesn't and his stats fall substantially, the price goes down.
But in all likelihood, Wilson is headed toward a $20-million-a-year deal and an overall contract in excess of $120 million.
