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The Seattle Seahawks made one of the biggest splashes of free agency by signing the best quarterback available in Sam Darnold. Seattle gave Darnold a three-year deal worth $100.5 million, with $55 million guaranteed. However, in the NFL, rarely does the total value of the contract actually reflect the financial realities of what a team is giving a player.
New details about Darnold's contract have emerged per Pro Football Talk and Over the Cap, and they are backing up the sentiment from the final sentence of the previous paragraph. Of the $55 million that is fully guaranteed, Darnold will get $37.5 million of it in 2025. As for the remaining $17.5 million that is fully guaranteed, it will come in the form of an injury guarantee that kicks in the week after Super Bowl LX concludes. There is an additional $10 million in incentives for Darnold to reach in order to make his 2026 salary $27.5 million.
Darnold's 2027 salary of $35.5 million is not guaranteed.
Translation: the Seahawks can quickly get out of this contract after only a year if the worst case scenario of Darnold regressing/not working out comes true. Seattle is essentially wagering $37.5 million dollars that Darnold's explosive 2024 season was not a fluke. If it turns out Darnold has truly turned a corner on his career and what we saw in Minnesota is closer to what he truly is as a player, then the Seahawks have found themselves an absolute bargain at quarterback. If he falls back to Earth and it becomes evident last year was a flash in the pan, then all they've lost is $37.5 million and find themselves searching for a new quarterback in 2026.
While it's never a great thing to simply squander $27.5 million, with the going rate for quarterbacks these days, whether or not Darnold works out for Seattle this year, they are getting a major discount at the most important position in the game. There are 15 other starting quarterbacks making at least $40 million per year. Ten of them will earn at least $51 million, and Dak Prescott is out there with a whopping $60 million.
General manager John Schneider has worked his wizardry again. He landed the best available free agent quarterback, got younger by seven years at the game's most important position, and gave his team max financial flexibility while also setting themselves up for massive savings if his gamble works out.
Masterfully done, sir.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Details emerge about Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold's contract
Continue reading...
New details about Darnold's contract have emerged per Pro Football Talk and Over the Cap, and they are backing up the sentiment from the final sentence of the previous paragraph. Of the $55 million that is fully guaranteed, Darnold will get $37.5 million of it in 2025. As for the remaining $17.5 million that is fully guaranteed, it will come in the form of an injury guarantee that kicks in the week after Super Bowl LX concludes. There is an additional $10 million in incentives for Darnold to reach in order to make his 2026 salary $27.5 million.
Darnold's 2027 salary of $35.5 million is not guaranteed.
Translation: the Seahawks can quickly get out of this contract after only a year if the worst case scenario of Darnold regressing/not working out comes true. Seattle is essentially wagering $37.5 million dollars that Darnold's explosive 2024 season was not a fluke. If it turns out Darnold has truly turned a corner on his career and what we saw in Minnesota is closer to what he truly is as a player, then the Seahawks have found themselves an absolute bargain at quarterback. If he falls back to Earth and it becomes evident last year was a flash in the pan, then all they've lost is $37.5 million and find themselves searching for a new quarterback in 2026.
While it's never a great thing to simply squander $27.5 million, with the going rate for quarterbacks these days, whether or not Darnold works out for Seattle this year, they are getting a major discount at the most important position in the game. There are 15 other starting quarterbacks making at least $40 million per year. Ten of them will earn at least $51 million, and Dak Prescott is out there with a whopping $60 million.
General manager John Schneider has worked his wizardry again. He landed the best available free agent quarterback, got younger by seven years at the game's most important position, and gave his team max financial flexibility while also setting themselves up for massive savings if his gamble works out.
Masterfully done, sir.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Details emerge about Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold's contract
Continue reading...
