Sam Darnold

ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reports the terms of Sam Darnold’s contract with the Seahawks allows the two sides part ways after one season if necessary.

Shortly after Florio wrote an article about the terms of Darnold’s contract not yet being available, Florio was back with the details from “a source with knowledge of the terms.” 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. Now, the Seahawks and GM John Schneider hope he can provide a significant upgrade over Geno Smith, who they traded to the Raiders just over a week ago. 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 QB market in 2026 if things don’t pan out.