Updated at 1:15 p.m.

The Seahawks have announced that Lofa Tatupu has signed a contract extension through the 2015 season. ESPN.com is reporting that the six-year extension is worth $40 million, with $16 million guaranteed. The deal includes the remaining two years on his original contract, plus six additional years.

The Seahawks restructured the contracts of Patrick Kerney, Deon Grant, Craig Terrill and Jordan Babineaux to make Tatupu's deal work. Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell said Tatupu's extension did not "free up any cap space."

The contract is essentially an eight-year deal, which is nearly unheard of in the NFL, and all but ensures that Tatupu will be a Seahawk for the rest of his pro football career.

"I couldn't picture myself in any other uniform," Tatupu said, "and now I don't have to."

Seattle general manager Tim Ruskell said the team and Tatupu's agent, Fletcher Smith, began talking about a contract extension in the summer, but the talks heated up after the playoffs.

The third-year middle linebacker has made Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell and head coach Mike Holmgren look awfully smart after they traded up to select the Southern Cal linebacker in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Since then, Tatupu has made three straight trips to the Pro Bowl and averaged 112 tackles per season.

As for running back Shaun Alexander, Ruskell said there has been no movement on that front. Ruskell did say that the team is still looking at what players are available in the free agent market, but said none of the signings will be a "big deal." The Seahawks are still in need of a kicker after Josh Brown signed with St. Louis earlier in the off-season.