Each NFC Team’s Largest 2026 Cap Hit
With training camp a few weeks away and the NFL in the midst of a rare quiet period, this is a good time to examine each team’s largest 2026 cap hit. This exercise will take a look at players who are still on their teams’ rosters. That disqualifies massive dead money hits for the likes of Kyler Murray (Cardinals) and Derek Carr (Saints) from this edition, which will focus on the NFC.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams ($48.27MM)
One of the league’s most productive quarterbacks throughout his 17-year career, Stafford finally won his first MVP last season. During his first 17-start season since 2021, Stafford guided the Rams to a 12-5 record while leading the league in yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46, against eight interceptions). He was also among the elite in passer rating (second; 109.2) and QBR (fourth; 71.2).
In the playoffs, despite Stafford’s 374-yard, three-TD effort in the conference title game, the Rams dropped a 31-27 nail-biter to the division rival Seahawks. Stafford briefly contemplated retirement afterward, but the 38-year-old is now under contract through 2027 after inking an extension in May.
Looking to take advantage of Stafford’s remaining years as a top-level QB, the Rams added reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and ex-Chiefs starting cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to an already loaded roster over the past few months. They also turned heads in using the 13th overall pick in the draft on a quarterback, Ty Simpson, but he is obviously not a threat to Stafford in the near term.
Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys ($43.51MM)
Prescott was not at his best in 2024, an eight-start season that ended in November with a major hamstring injury, but he returned to Pro Bowl form last year. Thanks in part to the acquisition of wide receiver George Pickens, Prescott led the league with 404 completions, threw for 4,552 yards and tossed 30 touchdowns (against 10 interceptions). Prescott put up a 99.5 passer rating, the 10th-best mark in the league, and ranked an even better fifth in QBR (70.2).
The Cowboys went a lackluster 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year, but Prescott and the offense did their part. A bottom-dwelling defense torpedoed the Cowboys’ chances of contending. Their prolific offense remains intact. If Dallas’ defensive additions pay dividends, Prescott & Co. could return to the playoffs in his age-32 season.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Buccaneers ($39.98MM)
Mayfield remained an above-average starter in 2025, his third year with the Buccaneers, but most of his numbers declined compared to the previous season. Neither the 31-year-old nor the offense as a whole functioned as well under coordinator Josh Grizzard as they did in 2024 under Liam Coen. In fairness to Mayfield and Grizzard, a rash of injuries along the offensive line and at the skill positions didn’t help matters. Those issues contributed to an 8-9 finish for Tampa Bay, which missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
The Buccaneers reacted by firing Grizzard and hiring Zac Robinson, who will be Mayfield’s fourth different OC in as many seasons with the club. Franchise institution/potential Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans is also gone (to the 49ers).
Mayfield could follow Evans out the door in a year if he and the Bucs don’t hammer out a contract extension by next March. It has been a month since Mayfield told the media the sides had not made progress toward an agreement. However, there is mutual interest in getting something done before the Bucs open camp in late July, Mayfield’s self-imposed deadline. Unless he adjusts the deadline, the team has a little over three weeks to lock up its two-time Pro Bowl passer.
Sam Darnold, QB, Seahawks ($37.9MM)
The Vikings erred in allowing Darnold to leave for Seattle in 2025, when he scored a three-year, $100MM contract in free agency. All Darnold did in the first season of the contract was help the Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship. Darnold posted a 14-3 record for the second straight regular season, in which he completed a career-high 67.7% of attempts, went over the 4,000-yard mark and fired 25 touchdown passes. While he threw 14 INTs in the regular season, he didn’t add to the total in three playoff games, including a Super Bowl LX win over the Patriots.
Darnold was at his best in the aforementioned NFC title game win over the Rams, whom he torched for 346 yards and three TDs. While the Rams are now the betting favorites to win it all this season, Darnold and the reigning champion Seahawks shouldn’t be discounted.
Jared Goff, QB, Lions ($37.6MM)
The Lions’ win total plummeted from 15 in 2024 to nine last year. The six-victory decline led to the Lions missing the playoffs for the first time since 2022, but Goff remained among the game’s most prolific signal-callers. He threw for 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns, trailing only Stafford (whom he was traded for in 2021) in those categories. Goff also tossed just eight interceptions on 578 attempts and ranked near the top of the league in passer rating (second; 105.5), completion percentage (fifth; 68%), and yards per attempt (sixth; 7.9).
Notably, this will be the third year in a row in which Goff will pair with a different play caller. After Ben Johnson left to become the Bears’ head coach in 2025, the Lions hired John Morton. The decision didn’t go according to plan, as head coach Dan Campbell took Morton’s play-calling duties away during the season and then fired him when it ended. Campbell replaced Morton with Drew Petzing, previously the Cardinals’ OC. Petzing walked into an enviable situation with Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and tight end Sam LaPorta as weapons.
Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles ($31.97MM)
Hurts took home Super Bowl LIX honors after the Eagles thrashed the Chiefs in February 2025, but the honeymoon didn’t last long. While the Eagles won 11 games and a second consecutive NFC East title, their offense markedly declined under new coordinator Kevin Patullo. With 33 total touchdowns, six interceptions and a 98.5 passer rating, Hurts put up nice numbers en route to a third Pro Bowl nod. But as the leader of the league’s 23rd-ranked passing offense, he was a source of frustration both in the building and among the team’s fans.
Worsening matters, the Eagles’ offense showed little life in a 23-19 loss to the 49ers in the wild-card round. That proved to be the last game as an Eagle for star receiver A.J. Brown, who voiced his dissatisfaction with the offense multiple times throughout the year. After a long-awaited trade with the Patriots came together on June 1, Brown revealed that he and Hurts drifted apart during the season.
Patullo and Brown are out of the organization, meaning Hurts will go into 2026 with another new OC in Sean Mannion and a few new pass catchers (first-rounder Makai Lemon, second-rounder Eli Stowers, Dontayvion Wicks and Marquise Brown) to complement holdovers DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. This will be a crucial season for Hurts, whose five-year, $255MM contract is due to expire after 2027. The Eagles could open talks on an extension next offseason if Hurts performs to their liking in his age-28 campaign.
Jordan Love, QB, Packers ($31.6MM)
It became more obvious last season that the Packers found their third straight franchise QB in Love, who has been up to the mountainous task of following Brett Favre (1992-2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2008-22). Over 15 regular-season starts, Love threw 23 touchdowns against a meager six interceptions. He was also comfortably in the league’s top 10 in QBR (third; 72.7) passer rating (sixth; 101.2) and yards per attempt (eighth; 7.7).
Despite the positives Love showed in his third year as a starter, Green Bay’s season ended in bitter fashion. Not only did the Packers drop their last four regular-season games to finish 9-7-1, but they blew a 21-3 halftime lead in a 31-27 wild-card round loss to the archrival Bears. The defeat came in spite of Love’s 323-yard, four-TD showing.
Daron Payne, DT, Commanders ($27.95MM)
The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Payne has been a full-time starter in seven of eight seasons since the Commanders drafted him 13th overall in 2018. Payne racked up a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2022, his lone Pro Bowl season, and the Commanders kept him around with a four-year, $90MM offer a few months later. Payne is now entering the last year of the pact, but the Commanders do not plan to pursue a new deal until 2027 (if at all). Over 15 starts in 2025, Payne notched 46 tackles, eight QB hits, seven TFL, five pass deflections and three sacks. The 29-year-old came in fifth in run stop win rate, but the defense still surrendered the third-most rushing yards in the league.
Chris Lindstrom, RG, Falcons ($26.25MM)
The durable and dependable Lindstrom has started in all 105 appearances since the Falcons made him the 14th pick in the 2019 draft. In 2023, with Lindstrom then coming off his first Pro Bowl/second-team All-Pro season, former Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot gave him a five-year, $105MM extension. Money well spent, as Lindstrom has since put up three more Pro Bowl/second-team All-Pro campaigns. The 6-4, 310-pounder made his second straight 17-start season in 2025 and finished as Pro Football Focus’ second-ranked guard.
Montez Sweat, DE, Bears ($25.09MM)
The Bears won the NFC North last season despite a below-average pass rush that finished 26th in sacks and 31st in win rate. You can’t blame the Bears’ ineffective rush on Sweat, who easily led the team in pressures (54), QB hits (18) and sacks (10) over a full 17-game schedule. The Bears, who have not made any noteworthy pass-rushing additions since the Rams eliminated them in the divisional round, will count on similar production from Montez in 2026. It will be his age-30 campaign and the second-last season of a four-year, $98MM contract.
Robert Hunt, RG, Panthers ($24.3MM)
Hunt made the Pro Bowl in 2024, the beginning of a five-year, $100MM contract, but an MCL injury wiped out most of his 2025 campaign. He went down in Week 2, landed on IR, and did not return until the postseason. Hunt ended up playing 76% of the Panthers’ offensive snaps in a loss to the Rams in the wild-card round. Now heading into his age-30 season, a healthy Hunt will continue as the Panthers’ No. 1 right guard.
Paulson Adebo, CB, Giants ($24.2MM)
Adebo missed 10 games with a broken femur in 2024, his fourth and final season with the Saints, but that didn’t stop the Giants from giving him a three-year, $54MM deal in free agency. The first season of the contract didn’t go great for Adebo, who sat out five games with a knee injury. Across 12 starts, Adebo tallied 73 tackles, eight passes defensed and an interception. On 80 targets, he yielded a 98.2 passer rating (up from 70.8 the previous year). PFF ranked Adebo a below-average 72nd among 108 qualifiers at his position, though he remains atop the Giants’ depth chart going into Year 2 of his contract. Either Greg Newsome, Deonte Banks or Colton Hood will start on the other side.
Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers ($23.71MM)
This is an eminently reasonable cap hit for a healthy Purdy, who has defied the odds and excelled since he entered the NFL as Mr. Irrelevant (the last pick in the draft) in 2022. San Francisco committed to Purdy on a five-year, $265MM extension in May 2025, but turf toe limited him to nine starts last season.
Despite a rash of injuries to Purdy and other key players, the 49ers still went 12-5 and clinched a playoff berth. Purdy & Co. got a wild-card road win over Philly, but the Seahawks knocked the 49ers out a week later with a 41-6 rout in the divisional round. If Purdy and the 49ers stay relatively healthy this season, they should be legitimate championship contenders.
Brian O’Neill, RT, Vikings ($23.16MM)
The reliable O’Neill has been a full-time starter and a career-long Viking since they took him in the second round of the 2018 draft. Now a two-time Pro Bowler and the longest-tenured Viking, O’Neill is on track to play the final season of his five-year, $92MM contract in 2026. However, the soon-to-be 31-year-old has made it clear he wants to sign a second extension in Minnesota. Given the Vikings’ mutual interest, there is a good chance the sides will work something out this summer. The bigger question may be whether O’Neill will block for newly acquired quarterback Kyler Murray or holdover J.J. McCarthy. Murray and McCarthy will continue to compete for the starting job in the next couple of months.
Budda Baker, S, Cardinals ($19.22MM)
A Cardinal since he came into the league as a second-rounder in 2017, Baker is under contract through 2028 on a three-year, $54MM extension. While his team is expected to contend for the league’s worst record and the No. 1 overall pick, Baker will vie for his eighth straight Pro Bowl and ninth overall. Last season was a mixed bag despite the Pro Bowl selection. The versatile Baker made 16 starts and recorded decent counting starts (120 tackles, five passes defensed and an interception), but PFF rated him a lowly 79th among 84 safeties.
Chris Olave, WR, Saints ($15.49MM)
Olave bounced back from a concussion-marred 2024 to catch 100 passes for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns over 16 games in 2025. All of those numbers represent career highs for the four-year veteran, who earned a second-team All-Pro nod. Although Olave has been recovering from a blood clot, he is optimistic the Saints will extend him this summer. If not, Olave will play the season on his fifth-year option. The Saints drafted a new No. 2 receiver, first-rounder Jordyn Tyson, to team with Olave and second-year quarterback Tyler Shough.
Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Vikings To Consider Wide Range Of QB Additions?
Given the way J.J. McCarthy played (when available) in 2025, the Vikings find themselves in the market for at least one notable quarterback addition. The manner in which the team goes about bringing in a new passer will make for an interesting offseason storyline. 
Both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones departed in free agency during the 2025 offseason. The success both quarterbacks had with their new teams provided a stark contrast to McCarthy, who was sidelined for his entire rookie campaign. The former top-10 pick started 10 games in Year 2, struggling in a number of categories along the way. Poor play, along with various injuries, ensured the need for competition to be brought in this spring.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell and since-fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah both spoke on that subject after the season ended. Free agency and the trade market loom as avenues for the Vikings to make an addition. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network predicts (video link) a veteran will be sought out in the near future. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini also expects a move on that front (subscription required). A new deal for Carson Wentz – who took over QB1 duties prior to undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery – could be an option. Otherwise, several paths will at least be explored this spring.
As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert writes, “all bets are off” when it comes to how the Vikings will proceed. The firing of Adofo-Mensah came at an unexpected time, but many observers were not surprised a change was made in the wake of his QB setup not going to plan. Seifert’s colleague Jeremy Fowler notes Jones was a higher priority than Darnold last spring with respect to a Minnesota re-signing. The Colts wound up inking Jones to a one-year pact, but he is widely expected to remain in Indianapolis for 2026. Darnold, meanwhile, is one the books with Seattle through 2027.
McCarthy’s rookie deal has another two years remaining on it, with a potential fifth-year option to be decided on next spring. The Michigan product is certainly not a bust so early in his NFL career, but stabilizing Minnesota’s offense will depend in large part on much better play from under center. A short-term addition such as Aaron Rodgers or Joe Flacco could buy time for McCarthy to develop further. The trade market could involve other veterans such as Jacoby Brissett, who has one year remaining on his deal and is owed just $5.44MM for 2026.
It would be noteworthy to say the least if the Vikings were to consider drafting a new passer relatively early. The team does not have a full-time general manager at the moment, and Rob Brzezinski‘s replacement will not arrive until after the draft. A strong possibility exists for Minnesota’s next GM to inherit not only McCarthy but also another quarterback they had no role in acquiring. That would definitely make for an interesting dynamic between O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah’s eventual successor.
The Vikings are one of many teams currently projected to be over the cap for 2026. Several cost-shedding moves will be required as a result, and the amount of financial flexibility created will go a long way in determining which quarterbacks become affordable.
Seahawks’ Sam Darnold Battling Oblique Injury, Expected To Play In Divisional Round
JANUARY 17: Darnold has not thrown since hurting his oblique on Thursday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, though NFL Network’s Steve Wyche indicates the Seahawks shut him down out of an abundance of caution. It is an injury that the veteran quarterback has never dealt with before, but he team is optimistic that Darnold will play on Saturday night against the 49ers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
JANUARY 16: Playing the first season of a three-year, $100.5MM contract, quarterback Sam Darnold helped guide the Seahawks to a 14-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Seahawks are preparing for a rubber match against the NFC West rival 49ers on Saturday, but Darnold unexpectedly popped up on the injury report Thursday. He’s questionable with an oblique issue, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.
Darnold, who said he “felt a little something” on his left side, practiced on a limited basis Thursday. The two-time Pro Bowler is fully confident he’ll play Saturday. If not, the Seahawks will turn to veteran backup Drew Lock. Considering Darnold hasn’t missed a game since 2023, it would be a major surprise to see Lock under center versus San Francisco.
Between his time with the Vikings last year and his work with the Seahawks this season, Darnold has helped his teams to an incredible 28-6 record since 2024.
Once considered a bust, the former No. 3 overall pick of the Jets surpassed 4,000 yards for the second straight year in 2025. He ranked third in yards per attempt (8.5), threw 25 touchdowns and posted a 99.1 passer rating, though he did toss the third-most interceptions in the league (14).
Darnold didn’t throw a pick in either of the Seahawks-49ers regular-season matchups, which the teams split, but his production was unspectacular. He combined to go 36 of 49 for 348 yards and no touchdowns. Darnold will aim for better numbers in the teams’ third and final showdown of the season while attempting to rebound from an ugly playoff loss with the Vikings last January. The Rams sacked Darnold nine times in a 27-9 blowout in the wild-card round. He went 25 of 40 for 245 yards, a TD and a pick.
Darnold’s rough showing against the Rams ended his tenure with Minnesota, which allowed him to depart in free agency. Darnold’s Seahawks contract includes incentives that he has already collected, as Henderson details. Seattle’s offense finished eighth in the league, which earned Darnold $500K. He racked up another $500K in incentives for passing yards, completion rate and a playoff berth. Postseason win incentives are still on the table for Darnold, who will make his second career playoff start Saturday. That’s assuming his oblique injury doesn’t stand in the way.
NFL Injury Updates: Seahawks, Packers, Olave, Hall
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold heads into Week 18 with a game that could cement his team as the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second season in a row. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he’s also looking to earn up to $1.5MM in incentives by throwing for at least 150 yards and three touchdowns and raising his passer rating (99.2) to 100. Unfortunately, he’ll be doing so without a few key pieces.
Starting left tackle Charles Cross has missed each of the team’s last two games, and according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, he’ll be out for Week 18, as well. Backup swing tackle Josh Jones has played well in Cross’ absence these past two weeks and will be relied upon again in a winner-take-all matchup with the 49ers.
Curtis Crabtree of FOX Sports adds on that, although rookie fifth-round receiver Tory Horton is eligible to be activated off injured reserve, he is not expected to play again this season. The shin injury that’s kept him out since early November has likely ended his rookie campaign. Head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters, “The best way I can describe it is just, what he has, it just takes a long time to heal…we’re not planning on having him.”
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Packers head coach Matt LaFleur gave updates on the two defensive backs recently placed on injured reserve earlier this week. Both safety Zayne Anderson and cornerback Nate Hobbs suffered injuries in the team’s home loss to Baltimore. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur told the media that he didn’t anticipate either player being able to return in time for the playoffs, so both players were put on IR to make room on the 53-man roster for players who can contribute in the postseason.
- Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was a surprise scratch for the team’s regular season finale. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, a blood clot was detected in Olave’s lung, though it was caught early, “before anything bad could happen,” and the 25-year-old will be fine. ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that Olave has no prior history with blood clots and that the injury should sideline him for about four weeks before he’ll be ready for any offseason activities.
- The Bills are locked into a wild card slot in the playoffs, though their exact seeding is still up in the air. They should have a fairly easy Week 18 matchup against a tanking Jets team, but they’ll be going into it without rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. A fourth-round pick out of Kentucky, Walker has stepped up as a starter for nearly all of his rookie year as Ed Oliver, T.J. Sanders, Jordan Phillips, Larry Ogunjobi, and DaQuan Jones have all missed time at different points of the year.
- Speaking of the tanking Jets, already without quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, New York has also now ruled out running back Breece Hall, according to Schefter. This means Hall may have already played his final game in a Jets uniform, as the 24-year-old is set to hit free agency at the end of the season. According to Rich Cimini, also of ESPN, the Jets are expected to at least attempt to retain him, but Hall may be tempted to test the market. Cimini doesn’t rule out that franchise/transition tags may enter the picture. With all the absences on offense, the Jets starting group will be led by Brady Cook at quarterback, Khalil Herbert and Kene Nwangwu at running back, and John Metchie III, Adonai Mitchell, and Isaiah Williams at receiver. Per Cimini, starting cornerback Brandon Stephens will miss the Jets’ final game of the season, as well.
- The Ravens have a win-or-go-home game tomorrow night against the division-rival Steelers, but they will be heading into the matchup without wide receiver Rashod Bateman after ruling him out for the weekend. Bateman missed practice all week with illness and will not travel to Pittsburgh.
Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Bradley Chubb Among Those Chasing Incentives
Late-December/early-January football offers myriad playoff scenarios, but incentives also play a key part during this sector of the NFL season. Here are a handful of incentive storylines to follow as the regular season winds down:
- Sam Darnold, QB (Seahawks). As we touched on in March, Darnold’s three-year, $100.5MM deal includes $5MM per year in incentives. He can earn $500K apiece by eclipsing a 100.0 passer rating, throwing at least 28 TD passes and finishing with a completion rate higher than 67.5%. Darnold sits on 25 TD passes and carries a 67.2% completion rate into Week 18. The nomadic QB also holds a 99.2 rating entering the 49ers matchup, putting $1.5MM in play. Darnold also earned $500K by guiding the Seahawks to the playoffs, ESPN.com’s Marc Raimondi notes. While no incentive exists for a Seattle wild-card win, the free agent signing would collect $1MM for a divisional-round win, $1.5MM for reaching Super Bowl LX and $2.5MM for winning it.
- Baker Mayfield, QB (Buccaneers). Mayfield’s three-year, $100MM deal includes a $2.5MM incentive package that can fully or partially trigger depending on the QB’s finishes in five statistical categories. Mayfield can earn $500K apiece if he finishes in the top 10 NFL QBs or top five among NFC arms in passer rating, TD passes, yards, completion percentage and yards per attempt, Ramondi adds. Mayfield sits 12th in yards (sixth NFC) and 11th in TDs (fifth NFC) but outside the top 17 in the other three categories, likely putting only $1MM in play.
- Bradley Chubb, OLB (Dolphins). Chubb can do quite well by season’s end. After agreeing to an offseason rework, the injury-prone edge rusher is set to cash in based on playing time escalators. Sitting at 72% playing time, Chubb is on track to earn more than $3.1MM, which he will do by finishing the season north of 70%, per Raimondi. The former top-five pick has already cashed in a $1.23MM sack incentive by reaching six; he can earn another $900K with eight. Chubb sits at 6.5 through 16 games.
- Keenan Allen, WR (Chargers). Returning to the Chargers on a one-year, $3MM contract, Allen has earned $1MM in reception incentives already, sitting at 73. He is at $750K on his receiving yardage incentives, per Raimondi. The two-stint Charger also has banked $750K by reaching 60 catches and the Bolts qualifying for the playoffs.
- Morgan Moses, RT (Patriots). Moses’ three-year, $24MM deal included a $1.5MM bump for playing 90% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Moses, who has not missed a game in his 12th season, locked that in during the Pats’ Week 17 win over the Jets. This is good news for the Jets, who let Moses walk in free agency. This is expected to bump the value of the 2026 compensatory pick tied to his exit from the seventh round to the fifth, OverTheCap’s Nick Korte notes.
- Joey Bosa, DE (Bills). Avoiding injuries for the most part this season, Bosa has five sacks on his one-year, $12.61MM Bills deal. If he nets No. 6 in Week 18, the 10th-year veteran will earn an additional $250K, per Raimondi. Bosa (15 games played — his most since 2019) is also on track to collect an additional $750K for playing at least 55% of the Bills’ defensive snaps.
- Deebo Samuel, WR (Commanders). Washington did not extend Samuel upon acquiring him via trade, but his deal does include a number of incentives. Already netting $250K in receiving yardage bonuses, Samuel (707 yards) can bump that to $450K if he reaches 800 yards. Samuel already banked $450K by reaching 70 receptions, Raimondi adds.
- Three NFC defenders earned six-figure bumps recently. Cameron Jordan (Saints) collected a $600K bonus by reaching nine sacks, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell. The 15th-year defensive end, who has 9.5 sacks in a bounce-back year, agreed to a reworked contract in March. Fellow veteran D-end DeMarcus Lawrence earned an additional $500K by being selected to the Pro Bowl in his first Seahawks slate, according to Spotrac. Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson earned $500K for intercepting a fourth pass this season, ESPN’s Field Yates adds.
Vikings Made QB Sam Darnold Offer Similar To Seahawks’ Proposal
A June report from Michael Silver of The Athletic indicated the Vikings did not make a multiyear offer to quarterback Sam Darnold, who parlayed a surprising run as Minnesota’s starting signal-caller in 2024 into a three-year, $100.5MM free agent contract with the Seahawks this offseason. As the ‘Hawks and Vikes prepare to face each other on Sunday, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (video link) provides some additional context.
According to Pelissero, the Vikings did, in fact, make an offer very similar to the one the Seahawks made. Pelissero acknowledges that the offer only contained a one-year commitment, but the contract Seattle authorized for Darnold also includes a “pay-as-you-go” structure. Indeed, the only guaranteed compensation for future years that Darnold presently enjoys is a $17.5MM injury guarantee, which does not convert to a full guarantee until after Super Bowl LX.
So, depending on how one plays with semantics, Silver’s and Pelissero’s respective reports are not necessarily contradictory; after all, neither Seattle nor Minnesota made Darnold an offer that tethered them to the USC product beyond 2025, even if their respective proposals were multiyear commitments on paper. Pelissero says the only reason the Vikings did not increase their offer was not because of Darnold’s disappointing end to the 2024 campaign, but because of their faith in J.J. McCarthy (although the team may be regretting that decision at the moment).
From Darnold’s perspective, with money being more or less equal, the Seahawks were a more logical destination, since McCarthy’s presence and status as a 2024 first-rounder represented more of a threat than anyone Seattle had on its depth chart at the time. The ‘Hawks did add Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 draft, but he was always viewed as a player who would take some time to develop.
Despite a nightmarish, four-interception outing in a narrow loss to the Rams in Week 11, Darnold largely has justified his contract and appears to be in line to unlock his 2026 payout. Seattle boasts an 8-3 record, and Darnold presently sits fourth in the league in terms of traditional quarterback rating (106.2) and sixth in QBR (69.4).
Klint Kubiak Helped Draw Sam Darnold To Seahawks; Drew Lock Entrenched As Backup
Not in the quarterback market until they traded Geno Smith days before free agency, the Seahawks immediately became a contender for the top QB prize in this year’s FA class. The offensive coordinator they hired quietly became a key component in this late-emerging pursuit.
The Seahawks had seen Smith extension talks break down, leading to the team regrouping after trading its three-year starter to the Raiders for a third-round pick. Rather than spending weeks without an answer at the game’ premier position, Seattle made a successful Sam Darnold pitch. Darnold joined the team on a three-year, $100.5MM deal — one that features a Seahawks escape hatch in February 2026.
[RELATED: Assessing Seahawks’ 2025 Offseason]
Darnold became intrigued at the idea of reuniting with Kubiak, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. The Broncos’ quarterbacks coach during their disastrous first season with Russell Wilson at the helm, Kubiak received a chance to regroup in San Francisco as Kyle Shanahan‘s pass-game coordinator in 2023. The Shanahans and Kubiaks go way back, obviously, though Klint had never coached with Kyle before. The 49ers then added Darnold on a one-year, $4.5MM deal in March 2023, and his year behind Brock Purdy allowed for the then-underwhelming ex-No. 3 overall pick to regroup as well.
Spending the season as Purdy’s backup, Darnold developed a comfort level with the 49ers. Kubiak played a central role in that, per Breer. Kubiak, 38, had said Smith represented a “huge draw” for him. The Seahawks hired Kubiak in late January; by early March, the team needed to recruit another quarterback. Darnold will now attempt to make his Seattle stay a multiyear arrangement, and he will have scheme familiarity thanks to Kubiak.
Seattle only authorized $37.5MM fully guaranteed to Darnold. This bettered their Smith terms from 2023, but the contract’s structure creates questions beyond 2025. The team can avoid a $17.5MM additional guarantee from vesting by moving Darnold off the roster by Feb. 12. This structure mirrors the Raiders’ Derek Carr extension from 2022; Las Vegas did use the escape hatch, cutting Carr before a much bigger guarantee vested in February 2023. The Seahawks then made a draft decision that would stand to affect Darnold’s future.
The team drafted Jalen Milroe in Round 3, doing so after signing Drew Lock to return as a backup. Lock is on a two-year, $5MM deal ($2.25MM guaranteed). While Milroe represents the long-term threat to Darnold’s job security — to the point the Seahawks informed Darnold about the pick — The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar notes Lock is secure in his place as the team’s backup entering the season.
Lock has played ahead of Milroe throughout training camp. The dual-threat Alabama prospect entered the draft with a high ceiling, particularly when compared to a mostly maligned QB class this year, but is viewed as a developmental option. Milroe will certainly be on Seattle’s 53-man roster, but a role as the third-stringer appears in place to open the season.
How Milroe’s development unfolds this season will be a key storyline to follow in Seattle. Significant 2025 progress could lead to a major Seahawks decision on Darnold’s contract by February. For now, though, a Darnold-Lock-Milroe depth chart is in place.
Darnold’s history of missing time certainly keeps Lock a key figure in Seattle; Darnold missed 10 starts as a Jet and was down for five games with the 2021 Panthers. He lost the 2022 Carolina gig to Baker Mayfield, but a high ankle sprain kept him out for much of that season. Darnold helped his free agency stock by playing every Vikings game last season, but his past health issues are quite relevant regarding Lock’s chances of adding to his 28-start total.
Vikings Did Not Offer QB Sam Darnold Multi-Year Deal
The 2025 NFL offseason was certainly an interesting one for new Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. After a career year in 2024 on a one-year “prove-it” contract with the Vikings, Darnold made it clear to his suitors that he was looking for multiple years on a contract moving forward. 
We saw interest early on from the Steelers and Giants, while presumed interest from the Titans and Raiders was apparently never there. And while there was talk that Minnesota had interest in re-signing him, Michael Silver of The Athletic tells us that the team never offered him the multi-year deal that he desired.
Quarterbacking a top-10 scoring offense that finished sixth in the NFL in passing yards, Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record. Despite only losing three games, Minnesota finished as the NFC’s 5-seed in the playoffs after losing the regular season finale to the division-winning, 15-2 Lions. That game saw Darnold complete a season-worst 18 of 41 pass attempts and pass for a season-low 166 yards. His first and only playoff appearance ended in a similar fashion as he was sacked a season-high nine times and failed to put double-digit points on the scoreboard.
Just like that, a career-defining, phenomenal season came to a crashing halt, and seemingly, so, too, did the Vikings’ favor for Darnold. After the then-27-year-old Darnold, who was handed the starting quarterback job over the 10th overall pick in 2024, J.J. McCarthy, due to injury, led them within a game of the top overall seed in the NFC, Minnesota seemed to have seen enough of him. Because their plans moving forward involved McCarthy taking over the offense as soon as possible, they were only willing to offer Darnold a one-year deal to potentially cover any time between now and whenever McCarthy is ready to take the reins.
Ultimately, Darnold landed in Seattle as the Seahawks new starter, and even though he’s now in a similar situation, with a rookie Jalen Milroe waiting behind him on the depth chart, head coach Mike Macdonald and company have been sure to communicate with the veteran and assure him that the starting job is his. They also affirmed their commitment to him with the three-year, $100.50MM contract they brought him in with.
With that contract, the Seahawks gave Darnold a chance to win the starting job and keep it for more than a year. Darnold will still have to fend off the developing quarterbacks behind him in Seattle, but at least now he’ll be under contract for those future battles and won’t have to worry about leaving early in free agency without still receiving a good amount of guarantees.
Tom Brady Preferred Raiders Avoid Signing Sam Darnold
With the Vikings electing to hand the reins over to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, Sam Darnold predictably departed on the open market this offseason. The latter wound up taking a three-year deal with the Seahawks to assume starting quarterback duties. 
Before that took place, Darnold was linked to a number of potential suitors as the top signal-caller in free agency. The Raiders were among the teams which made a notable move under center this spring, trading for Geno Smith once it became clear he and the Seahawks were not close on extension terms. Darnold’s predecessor is now on the books with Vegas thanks to the new regime which is overseeing the franchise.
That setup includes head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady. Once the seven-time Super Bowl winner’s ownership bid was approved, he immediately took on a notable role within the organization. Brady has been heavily involved in a number of Raiders decisions this offseason, and to little surprise that includes the acquisition of a new starting quarterback.
On that note, Mike Silver of the Athletic reports Brady did not support Vegas signing Darnold in free agency (subscription required). 2024 saw the former No. 3 pick enjoy an impressive run with the Vikings up to the team’s regular season finale and wild-card loss. Darnold nevertheless secured $100.5MM on his Seattle pact, one which contains a potential out as early as next March. Instead of making a similar investment, the Raiders traded for Smith and extended him on a two-year, $75MM pact.
That move will give Vegas short-term stability under center as the team looks to compete in the AFC West beginning in 2025. At the age of 28, Darnold is six years younger than Smith but the latter has experience working with Carroll dating back to their time together in Seattle. A productive reunion between the two would help a Raiders offense which finished 29th in scoring last season.
Of course, Carroll and Spytek were heavily involved in the decision to trade for Smith and thus settle the QB spot for the time being. The fact Brady preferred not to go the Darnold route was no doubt something which carried considerable weight, though, and it will be a factor in evaluating how the Raiders’ approach winds up playing out.
Mike Macdonald Affirms Sam Darnold As Seahawks’ Starter
Despite a top-10 finish in the 2024 MVP race, doubts surrounding Sam Darnold‘s future as a starter have persisted into his tenure in Seattle. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald put an end to those doubts on Tuesday, emphatically shooting down a question about another quarterback earning the starting job.
“No, you guys are crazy,” said Macdonald on Seattle Sports 710-AM (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “I respect that you’ve got to ask it, but it’s just a crazy question. It’s just not going to happen. Sam’s our starting quarterback. We love him. He’s doing a tremendous job.”
Darnold struggled at the start of practice on Monday, per Henderson, throwing two interceptions within the span of three plays and holding onto the ball for too long behind the line of scrimmage. The veteran did turn things around as practice went on and, reportedly, bested the defense on some goal line reps. Those early mistakes did not seem to concern Macdonald, though. “We’ve got time. It’s June 3,” he said. “They’re going to get plenty of reps. We’ll get those things fixed.”
Darnold came to Seattle on a three-year, $105MM contract, looking to fill the shoes left vacant by another bust-turned-Pro Bowler, Geno Smith, traded away just days earlier. The only competition Darnold faces for the starting gig is returning backup Drew Lock and rookie third-round pick Jalen Milroe, a prospect widely seen as a developmental project with outstanding athleticism.
The use of a third-round pick on a quarterback so soon after signing your new starter could certainly have ruffled some feathers, but Macdonald made sure to avoid the awkwardness we’ve seen in situations past, like in Baltimore with Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson or in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. The head coach made sure to communicate with Darnold about their intentions to take a younger prospect who could impact the offense in a lot of ways.
While the current setup shows similarities to when a rookie Russell Wilson won the Seahawks starting job as a third-round rookie over free agent addition Matt Flynn (2012), Flynn never displayed a full season of talent as Darnold did last year. Macdonald has instead said that the plan is for Milroe “to play a few plays a game in specialty packages,” while Darnold will “still get well over 90% of the snaps.”
Ely Allen contributed to this post.