Alexander signs $62 million, eight-year contract to remain with Seahawks
Last month, Shaun Alexander said he didn't need to wait for free agency and multiple offers from eager suitors to know what price is right for the league's MVP.
Good thing - because he might have been waiting a while otherwise, given the NFL's current, dizzying labor mess.
``Fair is fair,'' 
Shaun Alexander said.
``I know what fair is. Other teams don't decide what fair is. I think the Seahawks definitely know.''
They do now. Fair is apparently $62 million over eight years - the deal Shaun Alexander and the Seahawks agreed to Sunday night, keeping the NFL rushing champion in Seattle.
Agent Jim Steiner said the deal is the richest for an NFL running back and will pay Shaun Alexander over $15.1 million in guaranteed cash, through signing and other bonuses and 2006 base salary.
Jim Steiner told The Associated Press of the signing in a telephone interview, minutes after the NFL pushed back the start of the free-agent signing period 72 hours to Thursday.
The league still must approve the contract, and Shaun Alexander has yet to sign it.
The team is waiting for the deal to become official before announcing it, though a press conference at team headquarters in Kirkland, Wash., could come as early as Monday afternoon.
``They definitely wanted to do this,''
Jim Steiner said of the Seahawks bringing back Shaun Alexander, who set an NFL record with 28 touchdowns last season.
``And Seattle was Shaun's first choice all along.''
Follow up:
The NFC champions now are close to retaining two of the biggest reasons it had the NFL's most prolific offense last season, which ended in the franchise's first Super Bowl.
Last month, the Seahawks used their transition designation on perennial Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson. Thus, they have the right to match any free-agent offer he may receive, if and when free agency begins.
And the Seahawks have more reason to smile. Shaun Alexander's riches shouldn't affect Seattle's ability to comply with the league's 2006 salary cap by the latest deadline. The Seahawks were well over $10 million under the cap before Sunday's agreement.
Things weren't always so smug for Shaun Alexander and Seattle.
Last month, in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Jim Steiner said the two sides had ``a long way to go'' in getting a deal done.
Yet in the aftermath of the Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh, team owner Paul Allen, coach Mike Holmgren and Shaun Alexander himself all said they believed the franchise's career rushing leader with 7,817 yards over six seasons would stay.
Jim Steiner said Sunday night that negotiations began to make substantial progress immediately after team officials returned from the league's annual rookie combine late last month.
It was widely assumed Shaun Alexander would command over $20 million in guarantees - given that last offseason, Seattle sprang for a $16 million bonus to re-sign Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and another $20 million-plus in bonuses to keep perennial Pro Bowl tackle Walter Jones.
No comparison, Shaun Alexander said.
``I'm the only one in history who's done what I've done,'' he said.
Jim Steiner said the discussions were complicated by new league rules requiring no base salary increase of more than 30 percent between seasons.
``These type of negotiations always have ebbs and flows,''
Jim Steiner said Sunday night.
``There were times it was dicey on getting it done.''
Jim Steiner declined to reveal exactly how Shaun Alexander's $62 million is structured. But to meet league approval,Shaun Alexander may be getting an average base salary above the $6.323 million for which he had his record-breaking season as the Seahawks' franchise-player designee last season.
Whatever it becomes, it was obviously fair to Shaun Alexander.
``This is where he wanted to be,'' jim Steiner said.
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