Russell Wilson has made it abundantly clear that he expects a new long term contract done by the end of today, April 15^th. It is not typical to see an athlete hold such leverage in setting a deadline for action; this is no typical athlete. Wilson is the Seattle Seahawks’ all-time leader in wins and passing touchdowns. He is coming off arguably his best personal season performance, featuring a career best 110.9 QBR. The Seahawks’ offseason programs begin today, and Wilson is expected to attend. However, without a long term deal, he may not walk through those same doors a year from now.

Wilson is owed a base salary of $17 million this season, the final year of his deal. The league’s highest-paid quarterback is Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, at $33.5 million per season. With that large of a discrepancy, it’s understandable why Wilson is demanding a new deal. Another “Rodgers” in this story is Mark Rodgers, Wilson’s agent with Frontline Athlete Management. He represents just one NFL player, Russell Wilson. Rodgers has been at the Seahawks’ headquarters since Friday working on negotiations.

Peter King reports that a unique request has been made by Rodgers, one we haven’t seen in past NFL contracts. “The new salary would include devices to adjust future years of the deal based on how high the cap goes up year to year.” With new TV deals in the works and the potential for a sports gambling revenue source, it is very smart for Rodgers and Wilson to try and adjust for inflation.

And so, we wait. They are holding their breaths in Seattle as the city and football team need Wilson a lot more than he needs them.