Seahawks have a $37.5 million escape hatch in Sam Darnolds contract

The Seahawks gave themselves an escape patch in Sam Darnold’s contract.Darnold, after a renaissance season with the Vikings, signed a three-year deal worth $100.5 million with the Seahawks in free agency.

But the Seahawks can get out after just one year with the way the contract is structured.In 2025-26, Darnold will make $37.5 million, which is fully guaranteed, according to Pro Football Talk.Darnold is owed $27.5 million in 2026-27 with a $17.5 million injury guarantee that becomes fully guaranteed the week after Super Bowl 2026, according to the report.

That means that if they want to, the Seahawks can cut Darnold before his second-year salary becomes guaranteed with no dead money, as long as Darnold is healthy and can pass a physical.In essence, it can be a one-year, $37.5 million deal if Darnold struggles and the Seahawks want to move on.

If they don’t move on, Darnold would be owed $35.5 million in 2027-28, which is not guaranteed.The contract also reportedly includes $2 million per year in incentives for individual performance, $2.5 million per year for playoff performance and $500,000 per year for team performance.

Darnold, 27, broke out last year in Minnesota, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record.He struggled down the stretch, though, including in the Vikings’ wild-card round loss to the Rams.

On Thursday, Darnold was officially introduced as a Seahawk.“I think we have an opportunity to do something very, very special here, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work — and we know that going in,” Darnold said at his introductory press conference.

“Very excited to take this one day at a time, and that’s what I’m going to do.I’m going to put my head down and go to work.”...