The Seattle Seahawks are coming off an incredible season in which the team, led by veteran journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold, defied the odds and came away with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, crushing the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Even though the NFL offseason has only been underway for a short time, there’s already been some drastic changes in Seattle, with the team losing Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak deciding to take the job as Pete Carroll’s successor with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sam Darnold Next to Get Massive Contract Extension?
GettyJaxon Smith-Njigba #11 and Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks
Although Kubiak has moved on and Walker will now be coming out of the backfield for the Chiefs, the Seahawks still have some of their core guys ready to pave the way in the years to come, namely, superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and their leader under center in Darnold.
With the Seahawks recently signing Smith-Njigba to a lucrative long-term contract extension, the question is whether Darnold will get the same treatment.
According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, that will not be the case for Darnold this year.
Not until next year. Darnold certainly has a case for a raise. The $33.5 million average of the three-year, $100.5 million deal he signed as a free agent last March ranks 15th in terms of annual salaries for quarterbacks. It’s a bargain for a QB coming off a Pro Bowl season and a Super Bowl victory.
Apparently, the Seahawks have a rule about how they handle players’ contracts: they don’t extend deals with more than one season left, which is the case with Darnold.
But the Seahawks do not extend contracts with more than one season remaining — a nonnegotiable team policy on which they’ve held firm over the years. That’s why it was a nonstarter when their previous quarterback, Geno Smith, wanted a new deal in 2024, as he was entering the second season of a three-year deal.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider made it pretty clear that Darnold wouldn’t be getting a contract extension during this current NFL offseason.
When asked at the NFL combine if Darnold could get an extension this offseason, Schneider stated, “Sam signed a three-year deal.”
Even though Darnold has far surpassed expectations, the veteran gunslinger is still making a pretty good salary at $33.5 million per season.
Seahawks Make Jaxon Smith-Njigba Highest-Paid NFL WR
GettyJaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Seattle Seahawks
With Smith-Njigba thrusting himself into the best wide receiver in the NFL category this past season, the up-and-coming wideout wanted to be paid like it.
The Seahawks were ready to do just that, even though he had two years left on his rookie deal, but the reason it doesn’t break the team’s rule is the contract option involved.
Technically, Smith-Njigba had two years remaining on his rookie contract once his option was exercised, as does Witherspoon. But Schneider has clarified that option years don’t apply to the team’s rule.
Smith-Njigba inked a four-year, $168 million extension with the team, which has $120 million in guarantees.
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