Seahawks Utilize Veteran Salary Benefit in Recent Free Agent Signings
Seattle has found a way to reduce cap hits for experienced players.
The details of all the Seattle Seahawks’ free agent signings have been revealed, with OverTheCap.com sharing contract specifics for tight end Eric Saubert, wide receiver and return specialist Steven Sims, and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles. As anticipated, these are low-cost deals, meaning there’s little reason for fans to be overly concerned or excited about them.
One notable aspect of these contracts is a shared feature among them.
Contract Details:
Eric Saubert
- Cap hit: $1,197,500
- Base salary: $1,255,000
- Guaranteed amount: $350,000
- Signing bonus: $167,500
Shemar Jean-Charles
- Cap hit: $1,080,000
- Base salary: $1,170,000
- Signing bonus: $50,000
Steven Sims
- Cap hit: $1,030,000
- Base salary: $1,170,000
Understanding the Veteran Salary Benefit
Each player’s base salary aligns with the league minimum based on their credited seasons. Sims’ lower cap hit of $1,030,000, despite no guaranteed money, is due to the Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB). This rule allows teams to sign players with at least four credited seasons but only count their cap hit as if they had two. To qualify, any additional compensation—such as signing bonuses—must not exceed $167,500.
Saubert and Jean-Charles’ cap hits include the VSB plus their signing bonuses. The main difference among them is that Saubert received $350,000 in guaranteed salary, while Jean-Charles and Sims did not.
Seattle also applied the VSB to wide receiver River Cracraft, whose minimum salary is $1,170,000, but his cap hit is just $1,030,000. Like Sims, his contract includes no guaranteed money or signing bonus.
Since Cracraft and Sims are not among the Seahawks’ top 51 highest-paid players out of the 68 currently under contract, their salaries won’t count toward the cap until the regular season begins.
Seahawks’ Current Salary Cap Situation
With these signings factored in, Seattle’s available cap space slightly decreases from $36.3 million to just over $36 million. Even after accounting for over $4 million in projected costs for their 2025 draft class, the Seahawks should have no issues managing their cap space in the coming months.
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