"John Schneider fleeced Sam Darnold's agent"- NFL fans react to surprising detail in Seahawks QB's $100,500,000 contract

Sam Darnold reportedly signed a three-year, $100.5-million deal to be the Seattle Seahawks' new franchise quarterback on Thursday, which has led to much intrigue from fans. On Sunday, Ari Meirov claimed that it was much less lucrative in reality - a one-year, $37.5 million deal, with the organization able to move on with no dead money in 2026 should he remain healthy and pass a physical.

He only has a $17.5-million injury guarantee, which becomes fully guaranteed the week after the Super Bowl:

And all sorts of reactions manifested in the aftermath of the revelation:

More reactions can be seen below:

"They’re definitely drafting a QB!" one guaranteed.

"So this is just a tank job with plausible deniability," another wondered.

"That's not bad for the Seahawks. They get to see what they have and can move on if he sucks," another praised.

Should he be kept by the Seahawks beyond 2025, Sam Darnold will earn $27.5 million in 2026, then $35.5 million in 2027. He will also have three bonuses: $2 million annually for individual performance, $500,000 for team performance, and $2.5 million for playoff performance.

---

Sam Darnold's Seahawks contract one of the riskiest of 2025 offseason, says league writer

While football fans in the Pacific Northwest are cautiously optimistic about Sam Darnold's prospects as a Seahawk, at least one insider has reservations about the viability of his contract - NFL.com's Kevin Patra. He concurs with Drew Rosenthal's assessment that the recent Pro Bowler has entered a situational downgrade for both himself and his new team:

"I still don't like Darnold in Seattle as the centerpiece of a transition. Replacing (Geno) Smith with Darnold is like substituting prosciutto (for) tavern ham."

The main point of contention is the roster he will be working with. As a Viking, Sam Darnold had top-tier weapons to work with: running back Aaron Jones, wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and tight end TJ Hockenson, plus a decent line anchored by right tackle and fellow Pro Bowler Brian O'Neill, upgraded with another multiple-time Pro Bowler in center Ryan Kelly.

In Seattle, he will enter a significantly weakened offensive situation. Lead back Kenneth Walker III struggled with injury and was outplayed by Zach Charbonnet on the ground. Noah Fant has failed to be a factor at tight end, with incoming sophomore AJ Barner scoring four touchdowns to his zero.

But it is the wide receiver and offensive line that pose the most problems. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are gone, leaving Jake Bobo and Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the only other credible deep-ball options for Darnold besides Jaxon Smith-Njigba. As such, their offensive line remains one of the least talented in the league.