Devon Witherspoon was a steal for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has had an incredible debut season, in case it wasn’t already obvious, and the praise is beginning to come in. This is in spite of some initial anxiety among supporters who saw Jalen Carter, who was before thought to be a near-consensus choice for the first overall pick, be passed over by the team. Only Devon Witherspoon, one of these two players, was selected for the Pro Bowl. Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus says that while it’s fantastic and encouraging for a team hoping to capitalise on its recent success rebuilding through the draft, if Spoon keeps up his high calibre of play, there may be some pay cap implications in the future.January 4, 2024 – Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad)

Here’s a little excerpt from a Bleacher Nation piece that provides a good overview of how Pro Bowl participation affect the cost of exercising the Fifth Year Option:

1. Multiple Pro Bowls: The base pay of a player who is selected for two Pro Bowls on the first ballot (and is not on the reserve list) will be equivalent to the franchise tag tender for that position.

2. One Pro Bowl: The basic salary of a player who was selected for one Pro Bowl on the initial ballot is equivalent to the transition tag for that position.

Pro Football Network estimates that cornerbacks’ 2023 option will be worth over $16 million for those with one Pro Bowl and just over $18 million for those with two. Considering that Devon Witherspoon was nominated right away as a rookie, there’s a good chance he’ll be chosen to another. Which, cap hit damned, is fantastic.