The Seahawks used a year-to-year structure on Geno Smith‘s last contract, and they appear to have done the same with Sam Darnold.
Darnold’s new deal with Seattle contains $37.5MM in fully-guaranteed money, which will comprise his 2025 compensation, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. He will then be owed $27.5MM for 2026 and $35.5MM in 2027.
$17.5MM of Darnold’s 2026 salary is guaranteed for injury at signing and can vest to a full guarantee after Super Bowl LX. None of his 2027 money is tied to any guarantees, so the Seahawks could release him immediately after the 2025 season having paid just $37.5MM for one season.
A February release to avoid a vesting guarantee is not common practice in the NFL, but the Raiders did it with Derek Carr in 2023, per Florio. Such a move may draw criticism for being player-unfriendly, but Darnold and his representation must have recognized a one-year out as a possibility before signing the deal. He would still have to perform in 2026, as his 2027 salary is not guaranteed, offering the Seahawks another exit ramp after two years.
Darnold’s contract also includes $5MM per year in incentives, split between “individual performance” ($2MM), “postseason performance” ($2.5MM), and “team performance” ($500k).
Teams typically design their incentives as ‘Not Likely To Be Earned’ (NLTBE), meaning that the player did not meet the milestone in the previous season. After an impressive statistical showing in the 2024 regular season led to a Pro Bowl selection, Darnold’s incentives will likely be tied to things he didn’t do last year. That could include an All-Pro selection, winning a major award, winning the division, or advancing in the playoffs.
The structure of Darnold’s deal offers a wide range of outcomes in Seattle. If he fails to replicate last year’s success, the Seahawks could part ways with him after one year. However, a fruitful partnership could upgrade his APY from $33.5MM to $38.5MM per year and set him up for another big-money extension. In short, despite proving himself as a viable starter in 2024, Darnold still has plenty on the line in 2025 with his new team.
Kind of surprised the Vikings are considering Aaron Rodgers over this team-friendly structure for Darnold.
I guess 37 million to find out Darnold is mediocre at best, on his sharpest day in the pocket, with maximum protection and crisp routes run, is a worthless gamble. I don’t see Seattles roster sniffing the Vikings at any level offensively and certainly not at the brains level, in the head coach department. In my opinion.
good move all around Hawks!
Can someone tell Goku that literally no one cares about his UFL? Thanks.