Seattle, WA
Bucking trend of recent seasons, Seahawks have entire draft under contract early
The offseason program is in full swing for the Seattle Seahawks, with players taking to the field for organized team activities in Phase III before the news cycles hits the slow summer doldrums of late June and early July. With that in mind, the Seahawks have their entire draft class under contract, a departure from the tendency of seasons past to wait until the eve of training camp to sign the drafted players that the Hawks had developed in the wake of the Malik McDowell debacle.
All that said, here’s a quick look at the contracts for the members of the 2024 Seattle draft class, along with the guarantees they received and their 2024 cap hits:
- Byron Murphy (1.16): $16.08M, $16.08M fully guaranteed, $2.924M 2024 cap hit
- Christian Haynes (3.81): $5.8M, $1.04M fully guaranteed, $1.055M 2024 cap hit
- Tyrice Knight (4.118): $4.79M, $773k fully guaranteed, $988k 2024 cap hit
- A.J. Barner (4.121): $4.78M, $755k fully guaranteed, $984k 2024 cap hit
- Nehemiah Pritchett (5.136): $4.399M, $379k fully guaranteed, $890k 2024 cap hit
- Sataoa Laumea (6.179): $4.237M, $217k fully guaranteed, $849k 2024 cap hit
- D.J. James (6.192): $4.204M, $184k fully guaranteed, $841k 2024 cap hit
- Mike Jerrell (6.207): $4.18M, $160k fully guaranteed, $835k 2024 cap hit
The first point worth noticing is obviously that the rookie wage scale obviously favors early round picks when it comes to fully guaranteed money at signing. The amount of fully guaranteed money in Murphy’s rookie contract is several multiples of all the other fully guaranteed money combined. This should come as no surprise, as first round picks are so heavily coveted, however, it is the large guarantees given to first round picks that exposes teams to cap risk.
Certainly no team wants the players their squad selects to bust, as the hope and optimism that comes with the draft is that players will reach their ceilings and sky-high potential. However, things don’t always work out that way, with injuries, work ethics and sometimes even ATV accidents stopping high ceiling prospects from reaching their ceiling, and that is the risk that comes with the right to make early selections in the draft.
Bringing things back to the discussion of fully guaranteed money at signing for draft picks, the Seahawks 2024 draft class is a perfect example of why it can be better for players to go undrafted, rather than hear their name called late on Day 3. The last two players selected by Seattle this year, D.J. James and Mike Jerrell, received $184k and $160k fully guaranteed at signing. That is less fully guaranteed money at signing than the Hawks gave to undrafted free agent offensive lineman Garret Greenfield, whose contract includes $195k in fully guaranteed money between signing bonus and salary guarantees.
The fact that an undrafted free agent received more guarantees than two of the late round draft picks of the Seahawks is just one of the quirks of the rookie wage scale that consistently raises eyebrows, and is something that could be up for discussion when the collective bargaining agreement comes up for renegotiation at the end of the decade.
Seattle, WA
Seattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
SEATTLE — Soccer fans descended on Seattle’s waterfront well before kickoff Friday, staking out their spots early to watch a highly anticipated World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium between the United States and Australia. That patience paid off as Team USA won the match and now advances to the knockout round.
The atmosphere at Pier 62 was electric from the start, with fans lining up for prime viewing positions, whether down on the water’s edge or taking in the sweeping scene from the waterfront overlook above.
“I mean, look at all these people that are here hours beforehand to celebrate this incredible game,” said Paul Hanson, who was rooting for Team USA. “The hairs are going up on the arm.”
The energy was a draw in itself.
“The energy is amazing, everyone’s in a great mood, it’s just a lot of fun to be down here,” Maggie McNeil said.
Not everyone in the crowd was wearing red, white, and blue.
Lizzie Manning hails from Melbourne, Australia, and is now living in the Pacific Northwest.
Manning told KOMO News she hasn’t been back home in nearly a decade, but taking in the U.S.A-Australia match with the waterfront crowd gave her a taste of it.
“Whenever I see another Australian I’m like, ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy,’” she said. “I feel so close to home. I need a meat pie, life’s good.”
“I’ve met so many people who are visiting from other countries,” Seattle resident Maddie Chaplain said. “I sat next to a couple yesterday who was eating dumplings for the first time from Argentina, that was so awesome.”
With Team USA advancing, fans like Aaron Olson say they’ll be back for more.
“USA’s gonna win it,” Olson said. “I will come down here every game. This is spectacular.”
The World Cup watch parties continue on Pier 62 throughout the tournament. They are free and open to the public with online registration, but capacity is limited.
Seattle News Weekly S1E44: FIFA Frenzy hits the PNW
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is off and running as Seattle prepares to host the United States vs. Australia match on Friday. With more matches to be played in the Emerald City after that, FOX 13’s David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane are taking a closer look at the biggest stories surrounding the international tournament. Dan is hearing from fans on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to turn on CCTV cameras during the World Cup, Austin is taking a deeper dive into why ties are a good thing in the group stage, and David revisits the lessons learned from the first match hosted in Seattle between Egypt and Belgium.
SEATTLE – The FIFA World Cup has taken Seattle by storm, bringing global excitement to our city and visitors from across the world.
On this week’s episode of the ‘Seattle News Weekly’ podcast, David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane discuss the top headlines of the week that have emerged alongside the buzz about the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A Massive Tournament Expansion
The hosts open the podcast with a discussion on how historically large this year’s FIFA World Cup is compared to years past. Expanded to 48 teams (up from 32), the tournament features a record 104 matches over 39 days across 16 host cities. Seattle is hosting six of those matches.
Austin explains the value of “ties” in the group stage—especially with the new format where 32 teams advance to the knockout stage instead of 16—meaning a single point from a tie carries significant weight.
At the time of recording, the US had already defeated Paraguay and is preparing to face Australia at “Seattle Stadium,” where a win would guarantee advancement.
Transit Tactics
Dan Griffin reports on the city’s transit system, noting that while the light rail is moving a massive influx of people smoothly, transit authorities are actively “throttling” passengers.
This practice involves controlling crowd flow onto platforms to ensure safety, which has caused wait times of over an hour for some fans on TikTok. Transit officials recommend that fans walk to stations slightly further away from the stadium district to get moving faster.
The CCTV Security Debate
The hosts talk about how security is a major focal point. The FBI has already had to confiscate drones being flown illegally downtown. More prominently, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson activated controversial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Stadium District following “general but credible threats” identified by law enforcement.
While an activist group called Community, Not Cameras expressed fears that the surveillance puts vulnerable populations at risk due to federal agency presence, visitors and fans interviewed largely welcomed the extra layer of security. The cameras are expected to be turned off after the World Cup concludes.
Cultural Celebrations and Fan Experiences
The hosts play a clip from reporter Lauren Donovan who provides a colorful look at the fan festivities happening in the city. She highlights the “March to the Match,” describing Monday morning where Belgian fans swarmed Victory Hall alongside middle school band directors from the Stanwood-Camano district who were recruited to drum for them.
She also joins celebrating Egyptian fans, whose match against Belgium ended in an enthusiastic tie. The hosts note that international fans (like those from Australia) are already flooding local attractions, including Seattle Mariners baseball games, turning the sporting event into a broader West Coast vacation.
Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible or YouTube.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
USA players want to lay off the ‘Layup’ chatter ahead of Australia matchup
How Seattle is preparing for USMNT vs. Australia World Cup match on Juneteenth
FIFA World Cup billboards in Seattle spark sexual health conversations
Seattle’s Ballard to host Pride celebration, FIFA watch party on June 26
Seattle reviews FIFA World Cup 2026 transit options after post-match congestion
Egypt’s World Cup pride, Mohamed Salah’s legacy and one fan’s love for the Pharaohs
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
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