Seahawks extend center Justin Britt to 3-year deal worth $29 million

The Seahawks make their first steps toward a competitive offensive line.

The Seattle Seahawks have finally extended an offensive lineman. Justin Britt, the lone bright spot in a terrible 2017 offensive line, is the first offensive lineman to earn a second contract with the Seahawks in the Pete Carroll and John Schneider era.

The Seahawks drafted Britt in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Since then, he has bounced around the offensive line before finally finding his place at center. That experience has served him well, and his team hopes it continues to serve them well through 2020.

Britt himself appears to be pretty happy, as he posted a smiling selfie on Twitter.

According to Adam Caplan of ESPN, the deal is worth $27 million over three years. That makes his average annual salary $9 million, placing him in the top four highest-paid NFL centers, according to Over The Cap.

While Britt is only 26 years old, the Seahawks believe they have found a leader not just for the offensive line but for the entire offense. In the article announcing the signing on the team website, offensive line coach Tom Cable made the following statement:

"Really, like the rest of the group, his improvement is very noticeable. His command of it and his leadership has really showed up, but playing the position with the fundamentals, he’s a whole year better after going at it for a year. He understands what you’re talking about right from the get-go, and he’s able to really make a difference in there."

Ultimately, it appears as though the Seahawks have finally invested in their offensive line. While the team has signed former second-overall pick Luke Joeckel, he was only on the market because of his underwhelming time in Jacksonville.

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This is the first real step toward an offensive line which the Seahawks can rely on, which is something they have not had in a very long time.