10:16pm: The Seahawks have officially confirmed Kearse’s new deal, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
7:42pm: Kearse’s three-year pact is worth $13.5MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
7:14pm: The Seahawks aren’t allowing the remaining free agents from their talented 2012 draft class to depart en masse, and that now includes 2012 UDFA Jermaine Kearse. Seattle reached an agreement to keep Kearse in his home state, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Kearse’s deal to stick with the Seahawks is for three years, Schefter tweets.
This is especially noteworthy since Kearse told Schefter last week he didn’t plan to re-sign with the Seahawks and was looking forward to joining a new team.
Kearse was one of the top receivers remaining on the UFA market. The Seahawks, who already re-signed Jeremy Lane, look to have fortified the outside positions on the other side of the ball in keeping Kearse to again team with Doug Baldwin.
Most of the Seahawks’ 2012 draft/UDFA class have reached lucrative agreements either this week or last year. The most notable came obviously when second-rounder Bobby Wagner and third-rounder Russell Wilson re-upped with the team. Bruce Irvin signed with the Raiders, fourth-rounder Jaye Howard reached an agreement to stay with the Chiefs and seventh-rounder J.R. Sweezy landed in Tampa Bay on a lofty guard contract. Lane was a sixth-rounder in that historic class and agreed to stay in Seattle last night.
Kearse does not have Baldwin’s numbers but served as a capable No. 2 target for Wilson after Jimmy Graham went down last season. Starting 16 games for the first time, Kearse amassed a career-high 685 yards and five touchdowns.
Kearse’s work out wide coincided with Wilson’s career-best stretch as a pocket passer. The former Washington Husky, though, remains known for hauling in Wilson’s game-winning toss to beat the Packers in the 2014 NFC championship game.
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