Sam Darnold’s contract details reveal year-to-year structure

Darnold’s new deal with Seattle contains $37.5M in fully-guaranteed money, which will comprise his 2025 compensation, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. He will then be owed $27.5M for 2026 and $35.5M in 2027.

$17.5M of Darnold’s 2026 salary is guaranteed for injury at signing and can vest to a full guarantee after Super Bowl LX. None of his 2027 money is tied to any guarantees, so the Seahawks could release him immediately after the 2025 season having paid just $37.5M for one season.

A February release to avoid a vesting guarantee is not common practice in the NFL, but the Raiders did it with Derek Carr in 2023, per Florio. Such a move may draw criticism for being player-unfriendly, but Darnold and his representation must have recognized a one-year out as a possibility before signing the deal. He would still have to perform in 2026, as his 2027 salary is not guaranteed, offering the Seahawks another exit ramp after two years.

Darnold’s contract also includes $5M per year in incentives, split between “individual performance” ($2M), “postseason performance” ($2.5M), and “team performance” ($500k).

Teams typically design their incentives as ‘Not Likely To Be Earned’ (NLTBE), meaning that the player did not meet the milestone in the previous season. After an impressive statistical showing in the 2024 regular season led to a Pro Bowl selection, Darnold’s incentives will likely be tied to things he didn’t do last year. That could include an All-Pro selection, winning a major award, winning the division, or advancing in the playoffs.

The structure of Darnold’s deal offers a wide range of outcomes in Seattle. If he fails to replicate last year’s success, the Seahawks could part ways with him after one year. However, a fruitful partnership could upgrade his APY from $33.5M to $38.5M per year and set him up for another big-money extension. In short, despite proving himself as a viable starter in 2024, Darnold still has plenty on the line in 2025 with his new team.