The Seattle Seahawks may already have the financial escape hatch lined up if Sam Darnold keeps playing the way he has over the last four games.
Darnold was brought in on a three-year, $100.5 million contract shortly after free agency opened in March 2025, and he helped the Seahawks win a Super Bowl title despite turning the ball over 20 times. This season, though, the story has shifted fast.
His QBR sits at 26th in the league at 41.9, just ahead of Minnesota’s Kyler Murray, New York Giants’ Jameis Winston and Tennessee’s Cam Ward. Through four full games and the opening drive of the Week 1 win over the New England Patriots, he has completed 60.4% of his passes for 1,033 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions while taking 14 sacks.
The part that has Seattle most frustrated is when the mistakes are happening. Darnold’s turnovers have come in the middle or late in the fourth quarter, and they have directly blown chances to win at the Washington Commanders in Week 3, at home against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5 and on Thursday Night Football at the Denver Broncos in Week 6. That has left the Seahawks with a quarterback whose big-time flashes are being overshadowed by the costly errors.
If this version of Darnold sticks around, Seattle could be in position to make a move after the 2026 season without taking an overwhelming cap hit. General manager John Schneider built in flexibility for that kind of out, something the Seahawks likely never expected to have in place before this season.
Darnold would be due a total of $41.9 million, and there is a $10 million roster bonus on Mar. 16, 2027, five days after the new league year starts. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports that both his 2027 contract and that bonus are not guaranteed.
The cap math gives Seattle options. If the Seahawks cut or trade Darnold before June 1, they would absorb a $19.2 million dead cap hit while saving $22.7 million. If they wait until on or after June 1, the dead cap would be $6.4 million in 2027 and $12.8 million in 2028, with $35.5 million in salary cap space saved.
There are still 11 games left for Darnold to change the conversation and prove he belongs as the starter for a Super Bowl contender. Seattle’s offense has problems beyond him, including shaky play up front and a run game that hasn’t provided much explosion. But Darnold’s turnovers have been too damaging to ignore, and the more those game-changing mistakes pile up, the harder it becomes to trust him with the future.
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Seahawks May Be Learning A Painful Truth About Sam Darnold
Sam Darnolds first season in Seattle has been a reminder that a quarterbacks environment can change everything. After looking far more comfortable earlier in the year, his play has slid into troubling territory, with his numbers now sitting near the bottom among qualified quarterbacks and raising fresh questions about what the Seahawks have in him moving forward.
Jason La Canfora has pointed to the kind of roster churn that can quietly reshape an offense, noting the departures of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and running back Kenneth Walker III as possible reasons for the regression. Walker, meanwhile, is thriving with the Kansas City Chiefs, who remain undefeated, which only adds to the sting for Seattle as it tries to figure out what went wrong and whether Darnold can still steady the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Run Game Issue May Be Easier To Fix Than Fans Think
The Seahawks run game has been one of the quieter concerns of the season, and the numbers help explain why. Seattle sits 18th in yards per carry and 30th in EPA per rush, a rough combination for an offense that has wanted more balance. Analyst Daniel Jeremiah pointed to the injury-depleted backfield as a major reason, noting that rookie Jadarian Price is on injured reserve and the current primary backs have not provided the same burst in explosive runs.
There may be a relatively straightforward path to improvement, though, if the roster can get healthier. The possible returns of Zach Charbonnet and Price would give Seattle more options and, in theory, more juice in a ground game that has lacked it for much of the season. For a team trying to stabilize its offense, the fix might not require a scheme overhaul so much as a healthier rotation in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Trade Idea Hinges On Whether Eagles Would Move A Star Back
Seattles running game has not looked like the same engine it was a year ago, and the absence of Kenneth Walker has become part of that conversation. CBS Sports Carter Bahns pointed to that decision as one reason the Seahawks have had more trouble getting consistent production on the ground, then floated a bigger-name fix: Saquon Barkley. It is the kind of idea that immediately grabs attention because Barkley would give the offense a proven lead back and a very different level of stability.
There is a catch, of course, and it is a significant one. Barkley is under contract through 2028, and Philadelphia has not signaled any desire to move him, but the Eagles quarterback situation could change the conversation if Jalen Hurts injuries push them toward a broader roster rethink. For Seattle, the appeal is obvious: a shot at solving a glaring need with a star who could reshape the backfield, even if the path to getting him looks complicated from the start. [Read more 🡒]