Seahawks rookie Derick Hall signs historic contract for second-round pick

Seattle Seahawks rookie Derick Hall made history on Tuesday as he signed his contract with the team. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Hall will receive 85% of his signing bonus before the Seahawks’ training camp and is guaranteed $100,000 in his fourth year, both firsts for a second-round pick.

Hall’s full contract is worth a grand total of $9.116 million over four seasons with $7.22 million of that being guaranteed. His signing bonus is worth $3.63 million. The news of the historic contract comes as the NFL Players Association has been pushing for guarantees for second-round picks.

Seattle drafted Hall 37th overall out of Auburn in April. He was named first team All-SEC this past season at defensive end, but is expected to play outside linebacker with the Seahawks.

Across his four years with the Tigers, Hall recorded 146 tackles (29.5 for loss), 19.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception. That includes a combined 15.5 sacks and four forced fumbles over his final two seasons. Three of his sacks in 2021 came against No. 1 overall pick and former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

With the signing of Hall, the Seahawks now have only two more rookie deals to work out: first-round cornerback Devon Witherspoon and second-round running back Zach Charbonnet.

Derick Hall has incredible story of journey to the NFL

Hall brings plenty of size and physicality with him to the Seahawks, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 254 pounds. Knowing his backstory, it’s amazing that he grew into an NFL-type talent.

According to AL.com, Hall was born four months premature and small enough for his mother to hold him in the palm of her hand. He weighed just two pounds and nine ounces at birth and spent the first five months of his life in the hospital with an uncertain future.

Hall eventually was released from the hospital, but the idea of him ever playing football still seemed far-fetched at the time. He underwent yearly EKG and CT scans as a child and later developed asthma. When he showed an interest in flag football as a four-year-old, his mother was nervous at first.

Once she saw the fun he had on the field, however, she wasn’t going to stop him.

“She knew that was just my way of escaping,” Hall said. “Most kids were like, ‘Ah, I don’t want to go to practice,’ but I was excited to have an opportunity to do something other than lay up in the hospital or get shots or go and get a breathing treatment.”

Hall soon grew bigger, later developing into a four-star prospect before committing to Auburn. As he now gets ready to begin his NFL journey, he’ll hope to continue to beat the odds.