Summary
Spotrac data page for Sam Darnold’s career contracts and statistics. Primary value: detailed structure of the 3-year, $100.5M Seahawks deal and statistical comparison against comparable QBs at signing.
Key Points
- 3-year, $100.5M deal signed March 2025: $13.4M cap hit in 2025 (front-loaded signing bonus), $37.9M in 2026, $41.9M in 2027
- Cash: $41.5M in 2025 (signing bonus heavy), $27.5M in 2026, $35.5M in 2027
- 2028-29 are void years — used to spread cap hit; total cap proration through 2029
- Contract contains playoff incentives: $500K playoff berth, $1M divisional win, $1.5M conference championship win, $2.5M Super Bowl win
- 2025 stats (Seahawks): 67.7% completion, 4,048 yards, 25 TDs, 14 INTs, 99.1 passer rating
- 2024 stats (Vikings, pre-Seahawks): 66.2% completion, 4,319 yards, 35 TDs, 12 INTs, 102.5 passer rating
- Spotrac comparison: Darnold’s “prime” (2024-25) metrics are 3-6% below comparable QBs who got max extensions — suggesting the contract was a bargain for Seattle
- Career path: Jets (2018-2020) → Panthers (2021-2022) → 49ers (2023, backup) → Vikings (2024) → Seahawks (2025-)
Newsletter Angles
- The cap efficiency case: Darnold at $33M/yr average cash represents dramatically better value than Mahomes ($50M+), Jackson ($52.5M), or Burrow ($55M). Even if Darnold is 5-10% worse than those QBs, the cap savings fund multiple other starters.
- Void years as cap tool: the 2028-29 void years spread the signing bonus proration over 5 years, reducing the 2025 cap hit. Standard cap management that shows up here in the actual contract data.
Entities Mentioned
- Sam Darnold — central subject; career contract history
- John Schneider — structured the deal
- Salary Cap Optimization — contract structure is a case study
Notes
Most useful for the specific contract mechanics and the Spotrac comparison table. The $3-6% performance discount vs. comparable QBs quantifies the “value deal” thesis.