The Seattle Seahawks‘ quiet offseason finally paid off. They signed Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a record-breaking contract extension, making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.
Notably, they won’t stop there. Star cornerback Devon Witherspoon is next in line to get a lucrative extension of his own to secure the team’s two primary pillars on both sides of the field.
That’s why most people would assume that they’d also want to keep Sam Darnold there for the long run. However, according to ESPN insider Brady Henderson, that’s not going to happen this offseason:
“Not until next year,” Henderson wrote. “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.”
Of course, that has nothing to do with Darnold’s performances. That’s just the way the Seahawks operate under GM John Schneider, who clarified that Darnold “signed a three year deal” when he was asked about a potential extension:
“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,” added Henderson.
Schneider has built two different Super Bowl-winning rosters, so it’s hard to believe he’s going to change his approach at this point in his career.
Also, that doesn’t mean that they don’t believe in Darnold as a cornerstone of the organization. Questionable as that decision might be, that’s just the way they do business, and he’ll get his money in due time.
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