If Sam Darnold busts in Seattle, the Seahawks actually have a way to move on sooner than expected.
The former Vikings standout signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks in the opening week of NFL free agency. Until Sunday, that’s all that had been reported.
But contract details on OverTheCap.com, shared on Twitter by NFL reporter Ari Meirov, show that there’s much more under the surface.
The Seahawks have an opt-out after one season that would leave no dead money against the cap. They could activate it at their discretion, as long as Darnold is healthy and passes a physical.
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The contract is due to pay Darnold $37.5 million in year one.
So in essence, Seattle can save itself $63 million if Darnold’s first year goes so poorly that the Seahawks don’t want to continue forward with him.
If Darnold sticks around, the same principle applies after his second year. He’s due to make $27.5 million in 2026, and the Seahawks could still save $35.5 million by cutting him before the third year of the deal.
It’s an unusual contract construction, but it potentially was the best Darnold could get after a shockingly good season that ended with his two worst games on two big stages in Week 18 and the first round of the playoffs.
Despite the late struggles, Darnold did lead the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season. He now has Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp to throw to.
It’s very possible Darnold makes the Seahawks look smart for signing him, but if he struggles, they could always look smart in reverse by getting out of the deal with this sneaky loophole.
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