The Seattle Seahawks Tuesday agreed to terms with defensive end Chris Clemons on a multi-year extension. The Seahawks did not announce the length of the extension nor did they disclose financial terms, but the deal is believed to be for three additional seasons (2012-14) with the deal paying Clemons an average of $7 million per year.
“Pete (Carroll), myself, and the entire Seahawks family are very pleased to reward a player that has been a consistent difference maker since we acquired him,” General Manager John Schneider said.
The Seahawks acquired Clemons and a 2010 fourth-round draft choice (DE E.J. Wilson) from the Philadelphia Eagles March 16, 2010 for defensive end Darryl Tapp. Clemons originally signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2003 NFL Draft, spending three seasons in Washington before moving on to Oakland (2007) and Philadelphia (2008-09).
In two seasons with Seattle, Clemons has started all 32 games and posted career-highs in sacks with 11.0 in each season after posting a combined 20.0 in his first six NFL seasons.
Clemons’ 22.0 sacks since 2010 rank eighth in the NFL and he became the first Seahawks defensive end to record back-to-back double-digit sack seasons since Michael Sinclair in 1997-98.
Clemons has started 35 of 100 career games, with 152 tackles (105 solo), 42.0 sacks, 15 passes defensed, nine forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in his career.
An additional benefit to re-signing Clemons: the club will expect him to tutor Bruce Irvin, the club’s first-round draft pick out of West Virginia.
