John Schneider gets an extension with the Seahawks

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Long-time Seahawks G.M. John Schneider will continue to be the Seahawks G.M.

The Seahawks have announced an extension with Schneider that runs through the 2027 draft.

The Lions reportedly were planning to try to hire Schneider, with the lone report on the matter incorrectly assuming that the Lions could have hired Schneider without getting Seattle’s consent and without compensating the Seahawks. The Lions could have tried to hire him, but the Seahawks would have been entitled to block the move, or to allow it only after a deal was struck on what the Seahawks would receive, if Schneider left.

A full nine days after Seattle’s regular season ended, there was no indication that the Lions were moving in that direction. Multiple league sources schooled and experienced in the nuances of NFL-level negotiations insisted then (and definitely are insisting now) that the story was planted to squeeze the Seahawks to give Schneider a new deal.

So now he has a new deal. And if the Lions were serious about pursuing him, here’s the thing: They still can, especially if it’s true (but it’s not) that the Lions could hire Schneider without compensating the Seahawks.

If Schneider were actually interested in making a change, he could have let things play out. The mere fact that a new deal was done before it ever got to that point shows that it was all about leveraging a new contract with the Seahawks and not about the Lions hiring Schneider.

Which is fine. It worked. Mission accomplished. One of our functions is to spot that kind of stuff and point it out, as it’s happening.