Seahawks' Josh Brown says he's leaving

The Seahawks grew accustomed to turning to Josh Brown in moments of suspense the past five years.

Well, this week, they got turned down by Brown, an unrestricted free agent, who instead will sign with division rival St. Louis.

His agent has not returned messages from The Seattle Times since free agency began on Thursday at 9 p.m. PST, and Friday evening he told FSN Northwest that Brown had agreed to a five-year contract with St. Louis, the team Seattle beat twice in 2006 on last-minute field goals by Brown.

That ends what was by all indications a negotiation with the Seahawks that lasted more than a year, concluding with the team apparently willing to offer Brown the largest contract for a kicker — thought to be $14.million for five years — but still unable to make a deal.

The Chiefs were interested in Brown, according to The Kansas City Star, and the Falcons previously requested information about Brown from Seattle.

Seattle’s auxiliary plans at kicker will likely be two-pronged, bringing in a veteran or two to compete with a rookie for the spot Brown filled since he was drafted by the Seahawks in the seventh round in 2003. Jason Elam is considered the top remaining unrestricted free-agent kicker on the market.

Brown was an unrestricted free agent last year after winning four games with last-minute field goals in 2006. The two sides didn’t reach an agreement on a long-term contract, but the Seahawks kept him by designating him their franchise player and paying him a salary of $2.1.million.

Brown was the third of Seattle’s players it wanted to re-sign this offseason. Cornerback Marcus Trufant and tackle Sean Locklear were the first two. The Seahawks signed Locklear and are still hoping to sign Trufant after affixing the franchise tag to him, and they made a push to keep Brown in the days before free agency began.

That culminated in an offer indicated to be $14.million over five years, which would have surpassed the five-year, $12.million contract Adam Vinatieri received from the Indianapolis Colts in 2006.

Brown’s departure to a division rival ends the Seattle tenure of a player who was both popular and pivotal to the team’s success. Brown made 28 of 34 field-goal attempts last season, a year in which the Seahawks went through three long-snappers.