One more good time for Alexander?

KIRKLAND — It's off to the surf and sand of Hawaii for Shaun Alexander, where he'll be part of the Pro Bowl festivities.

The game itself, however, might not be part of Alexander's fun in the sun. And the countdown is on to his becoming a free agent, as the Seahawks have 22 days to re-sign the star running back before his contract expires and he becomes a free agent.

Alexander announced Tuesday that he sprained his right foot during the Super Bowl, despite rushing for 95 yards on 20 carries.

"I didn't even realize it until after the game was over and it swelled up a little bit," Alexander said a few hours before his scheduled flight to Honolulu. "I'm going to get some treatment on it, and if I can play then I'm going to play and have fun with six of my friends for one more good time.

"And hopefully not the last time."

The reality of the situation is that Alexander might have played his last game as a Seahawk. He's not alone; the team roster has 14 other players who are on track to become unrestricted free agents if not re-signed before March 3.

They include wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, who is rumored already to be drawing interest from the New England Patriots; safety Marquand Manuel, who played very well in relief of Ken Hamlin; defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, who had 8 ˝ sacks in 2005; left guard Steve Hutchinson, who made the Pro Bowl for the third straight season; and fullback Mack Strong, a Pro Bowler for the first time.

Run For The Money


Shaun Alexander is looking for a contract that will pay him for his achievements — league MVP, rushing leader and record-setting TD scorer. Here are the biggest contracts signed by running backs in the past two years, with player, team, year signed, deal and guaranteed money:

LaMont Jordan

OAK, 2005

Five years

$27.5 million

($15.7M)

Rudi Johnson

CIN, 2005

Five years

$26 million

($12M)

LaDainian Tomlinson

SD, 2004

Six years

$60 million

($21M)

Clinton Portis

WAS, 2004

Eight years

$50.5 million

($11.5M)

"Hopefully, I'm back," Bernard said. "I want to be back. Hopefully, I proved the doubters wrong. There were a lot of things being said about me, and I never liked it. You always want to be part of something special."

Jurevicius is all for staying with the Seahawks, too.

"I have proven that I can play football and make plays and help football teams win," Jurevicius said. "I will have the final say. I have enjoyed my time here in Seattle, and I don't see there being any reason for me to go somewhere else."

Alexander said contract talks might start as soon as today between his agents and the Seahawks' front office. He believes the team has the financial means within the salary cap to get a long-term deal done. He also indicated that he doesn't have to be the highest-paid running back nor have the highest signing bonus among other NFL backs and his well-paid teammates, like quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and left tackle Walter Jones.

Last offseason, Hasselbeck got a $16 million signing bonus and Jones received a deal that included $21 million in bonuses.

Alexander is confident he will remain a Seahawk. His agents and the Seahawks had earlier agreed to table contract discussions until the end of the season. Multi-year offers have been discussed, but the two sides don't seem that close to an agreement.

"The most important thing to me is just [to be] fair," Alexander said. "When everybody is fair, no one holds anything back. I want to be here, and they want me here. We have the means both ways to make it happen. We have the means for all of us to be happy — me, Hutch, Mack, all of us. I would just be surprised if we don't have a similar team next year and we don't come back and do it again and this time win in Miami."

Added Alexander: "When you have an organization that is put together and they have their T's crossed and their I's dotted and they have their plans down, when they come to you openly about what they want to do and you come openly about what you want to do, it just works."

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com