Sam Darnold

ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reports the terms of Sam Darnold’s contract with the Seahawks allow Seattle to walk away from the contract after just one season.

According to Florio, Darnold is set to earn a guaranteed $37.5 million in 2025. However, Darnold’s 2026 compensation, which is $27.5 million overall and $17.5 million in guaranteed money, doesn’t kick in until the week after the Super Bowl. This means there will be a handful of weeks after the season ends for the Seahawks to decide if the team wants to continue forward with Darnold in 2026, or be one-and-done with the former first-round pick. Darnold threw for 3,419-35-12 in his lone season with the Vikings. If Darnold doesn’t live up to expectations, the Seahawks can cut bait after the season and move on without owing him any more than the money paid to him in 2025. It’s a very team-friendly deal for a team that may be right back in the quarterback market in 2026 if things don’t pan out.