Sam Darnold’s Contract Details Paint a Different Picture
Sam Darnold delivered one of the most exciting seasons in recent Vikings history. The passer joined Minnesota after completely bungling the first six years of his career with unsuccessful stints with the Jets and Panthers and backup duties for Brock Purdy in San Francisco.
Sam Darnold’s Contract Details Paint a Different Picture
Then, his time with Kevin O’Connell arrived. The ex-NFL quarterback helped him reach new heights, mentoring him to 35 passing touchdowns and a trip to the Pro Bowl, something that was unthinkable in August when rookie J.J. McCarthy showed promise in the preseason and surely would unseat the veteran at some point.
The passer and the 2024 Vikings entered the season with low expectations, but the results were impressive: A 14-3 record for the operation and a career year for the signal-caller.
Of course, that’s why he was the hottest ticket in free agency. Potential franchise quarterbacks don’t usually become available at the age of 27. Therefore, Darnold expected a strong market, but some kind of bidding war never gained any traction.
Instead, Darnold signed a three-year contract worth $100.5 million with the Seahawks.
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk, however, reported the contract details, saying that it could be a one-year deal based on the guarantees:
“The structure allows the Seahawks to escape the contract after one year and $37.5 million. While it’s generally frowned upon for teams to scrap contracts when the guarantee flips from injury-only to full in the early days of the waiver period, that’s what the Raiders did with Derek Carr in 2023. (The good news for the player is that it gives him a head start on free agency, by more than a month.)”
Only Darnold’s first-year salary of $37.5 million is guaranteed; nothing beyond that is, except the injury guarantees of $17.5 million in 2026.
Even if Seattle opts to keep the QB for a second season, the deal is quite cheap; as Florio suggested, “If the Seahawks pick up the second year of the Darnold contract at $27.5 million, it’s a two-year, $65 million deal. That’s an average of $32.5 million per year.”
Darnold’s average annual value for the three years ranks him 17th in the NFL. In a booming economy for quarterback contracts, when even guys like Tua Tagovailoa (despite his injury history) or Jordan Love (after half a good season) are offered deals of $55 million per season, Darnold’s money looks modest.
In Darnold’s case, it is fair to assume that his underwhelming track record before his Vikings chapter cost him some money, and his late-season breakdown might have, too. After all, he tabulated 36 touchdowns and 4,319 passing yards while guiding a team to 14 wins.
Moving on from Geno Smith to Darnold makes sense, according to Florio.
“Bottom line? If Darnold regresses in 2025, he could be released after only one season. And the Seahawks will be out only $37.5 million. With Geno Smith apparently looking for much more than $37.5 million per year on a new deal in Seattle, the strategic decision to pivot from Smith to Darnold makes sense — even if it ultimately puts the Seahawks back in the market for a quarterback a year from now.”
Ultimately, Darnold didn’t have the market he and many others might have expected, but he can prove the NFL wrong by repeating his 2024 success because that player was worth more than the deal he got.
However, it remains to be seen how easy it is without O’Connell in his corner and Justin Jefferson on a different team.
Darnold’s play-caller is an old friend (for him and the Vikings), Klint Kubiak, and his top weapons are Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
The signal-caller will turn 28 and hopes to build on his strong campaign.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt