Sam Darnold’s contract with Seahawks may not be what it seems

When NFL contracts get signed, there is always an emphasis put on the number of years and total dollar amount that the contract can be worth if everything goes perfectly according to plan. But those numbers are almost always to make headlines, boost agent and player egos and get the most attention possible. 

The more important factor is the guaranteed money and the way the contract is structured, that can give teams an out in the event things do not go as planned. 

That brings us to the three-year, $100.5 million contract quarterback Sam Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks in the early stages of this year’s free agency signing period.

While the $100.5 million looks like a big number for Darnold, the structure of the contract reportedly makes it so Seattle could dump him after this season and have no dead money on its books in future seasons.

According to ProFootballTalk on Sunday, while Darnold’s $37.5 million salary for the 2025 season is fully guaranteed, the Seahawks have a couple of outs in the deal.

First, the relevant contract details via PFT:

“Per a source with knowledge of the terms, here’s the rough breakdown:

1. 2025 compensation: $37.5 million, fully guaranteed.

2. 2026 compensation: $27.5 million, $17.5 million of which is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully guaranteed in the week after Super Bowl LX.

3. 2027 compensation: $35.5 million, non-guaranteed.

The deal also includes $2 million per year for individual performance, $2.5 million per year for postseason performance, and $500,000 per year for team performance.”

In other words, if Darnold is unable to duplicate his 2024 performance and regresses back to the lower-tier quarterback he has been for the majority of his career, the Seahawks could release him in the week after Super Bowl LX — assuming he is healthy — and not owe him any additional money or carry any dead salary cap money in future seasons.

It makes the contract a one-year deal with two option years for the Seahawks.

That is relatively low-risk business for the Seahawks. Which is also probably smart business for them.

While Darnold was one of the top players on this year’s open market, and arguably the top quarterback, there is still some question as to how good he is and what should be expected of him in the coming seasons. 

His 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings was outstanding in helping lead the team to a 14-3 regular season record. He also threw for 35 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions and was one of the biggest surprise success stories in the league. That performance was also far and away better than anything he had done during his previous six seasons in the league, and came under some pretty perfect conditions that included a great offensive philosophy and game-breaking talent at the skill positions around him.

What if it was all a fluke?

What if he does not duplicate that in Seattle, and without having Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to go and make plays for him?

All valid questions. 

If Darnold proves the 2024 season was in fact a fluke, they can start over from scratch in 2026 with no real penalty and nothing lost beyond Darnold’s 2025 salary. 

If he proves that improvement was for real, then they have their quarterback for the next two years at a pretty favorable price. 

The Seahawks signed Darnold after trading veteran quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2025 third-round draft pick.