The Seattle Seahawks were expected to struggle when they traded away nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson and named veteran Geno Smith as their starter. Smith, who became an opening day starter for the first time since 2014, had been written off by the national media. The only problem, he would later say, was that he didn't write back.
Smith unexpectedly put together a Pro Bowl campaign and was named the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year for his remarkable recovery from developmental damage caused by the New York Jets.
Now, Seattle is attempting to catch lightning in a bottle again. In his second year with the team, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald parted ways with Smith, who was a product of Seattle’s prior coaching regime, in favor of signing his own recovering Jets quarterback. After trading Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Seahawks signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract with $55 million in guaranteed money.
Sam Darnold’s contract details suggest Seahawks aren’t completely confident about their new quarterback
That’s a significant amount of money to pay any player, but particularly a quarterback who only has one productive season in his seven-year career. Still, Darnold’s deal with Seattle may not be as risky as it seems on the surface. The contract details obtained by NBC Sports reveal that the Vikings built an escape hatch that would allow them to get out of the deal after one year for $37.5 million or two years for $65 million.
Darnold’s $37.5 million salary for the upcoming season is fully guaranteed. In 2026, his salary drops to $27.5 million with $17.5 million guaranteed for injury. The portion guaranteed for injury becomes fully guaranteed after Super Bowl LX, but the Seahawks could release him before that if the 2025 season doesn’t go as planned. In that case, the contract would prove to be a one-year, $37.5 million deal.
If Seattle picks up Darnold’s second season, they could release him at any point after that since his $35.5 million salary in 2027 contains no guaranteed money. If they go that route, the contract would be a two-year, $65 million deal with $32.5 million annually.
It'll be an uphill battle for Sam Darnold to replicate career year with Seahawks
In his lone season with the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold led the team to a 14-3 record and nearly clinched the NFC’s top seed. He finished with a career-high 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns while throwing just 12 interceptions.
While new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak runs a system that’s similar to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, there’s no guarantee that Darnold can replicate his magical season with Seattle in 2025. The Vikings offense was outfitted with talent across the board: Darnold had perennial All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson and rising star Jordan Addison on the perimeter, tight end T.J. Hockenson over the middle and running back Aaron Jones in the backfield. Minnesota’s fifth-best scoring defense covered up for any mistakes and gave the offense an average starting field position at their own 31-yard line, ninth-best in the league.
The Seahawks won’t provide Darnold with the same supporting cast. Seattle’s offense has questions at nearly every position group, and especially at wide receiver. Seattle released wide receiver Tyler Lockett this offseason, ending his 10-year tenure with the team. Days later, star wide receiver DK Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Darnold’s resurgence has been remarkable, but he has yet to prove he can elevate a team in a less stable environment. If he can’t, Seattle won’t let him stick around to earn the $100 million that his contract offers.L
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