Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Report hints at how much Seahawks could offer Sam Darnold

By Steve Delvecchio | Last updated Mar 8, 2025 5:18 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks may turn their attention to Sam Darnold after they traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, and one report offered a strong hint about the type of offer Darnold could receive.

Smith was traded to the Raiders on Friday night in exchange for a third-round draft pick. Seattle made the decision to move the veteran quarterback after the two sides were not making progress in contract negotiations.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Seahawks were willing to offer Smith an extension worth around $35 million per year. Smith's camp was seeking closer to $45 million annually.

The @Seahawks and Geno Smith were far apart in negotiations—with Seattle closer to around $35 million per and Smith's camp around $45 million per. That precipitated the trade to the @Raiders.

Smith's reunited with @PeteCarroll there.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 8, 2025

The Seahawks have reportedly made Darnold their "primary focus" heading into free agency now that they have a quarterback vacancy. If they were willing to offer Smith $35 million per year, it would stand to reason that they would offer Darnold at least that much.

Of course, other teams could also enter the mix. Darnold is only 27 and coming off an excellent season with the Minnesota Vikings. He finished with 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Teams like the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns might also have interest in pursuing Darnold.

The Vikings chose not to place the franchise tag on Darnold, which would have paid him more than $40 million in 2025. With the Seahawks now in need of a new quarterback, there is a good chance the former No. 3 overall pick will wind up with a much better deal, anyway.

Steve Delvecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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