Leon Washington is being rewarded for proving he could come back from a gruesome, career-threatening broken leg.
The Seattle Seahawks announced Tuesday that they had signed Washington to a multiyear contract extension.
Alvin Keels, Washington's agent, tweeted earlier in the day that his client had agreed in principle to a new four-year contract after a 2010 season during which the running back was in the discussions for NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.
Washington came to Seattle in a draft-day trade with the New York Jets, carrying plenty of questions about whether or not he could return to the Pro Bowl form he showed in New York. Washington sustained a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg during an October 2009 game at Oakland.
It didn't take long for Washington to prove he was back. If his sprinting touchdown run during the preseason didn't show he still had his burst, his welcome back came in Week 3 against the San Diego Chargers.
In a 27-20 victory over the Chargers, Washington returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, including a 101-yard sprint to start the second half. He finished that day with 253 yards on kickoff returns, nearly matching Seattle's offensive output of 271 yards. He was the 10th player in NFL history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game and just the third to have both be for 99 or more yards.
Later in the season, Washington returned a kickoff 92 yards for a score against the San Francisco 49ers and had a long punt return against the Carolina Panthers in which he was tripped up just shy of the goal line.
Washington tied for the NFL lead with three kickoff returns for touchdowns and averaged 25.6 yards per return, good for eighth in the league. Washington also scored one rushing touchdown. He finished second in All-Pro voting as kick returner behind Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
