NFL free agency: Sam Darnold deal another great value for Seahawks at QB

Not only is Sam Darnold the best free agent in this class, the Seahawks got him at a great price-point.

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts after passing for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

If Sam Darnold had chosen to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers or another team, then the Seattle Seahawks would be royally screwed right now. Thankfully, the cards fell in their favor after Seattle traded veteran starter Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. Darnold has agreed to terms, landing the Seahawks they quarterback upgrade they so-desperately needed.

Not only was Darnold by far the best free agent quarterback option in this class, the Seahawks are also getting him at one hell of a price-point. According to a report by Dianna Russini at The Athletic, Darnold's deal is for three years and $100.5 million. It also comes with $55 million in guarantees.

That last number is the only one that really matters, and it's one of the cheapest guaranteed figures in the league among current starters. $55 million guaranteed ranks Darnold 18th in the league according to figures at Over the Cap. Darnold's reported average salary of just over $33 million per year also ranks 18th, roughly tied with Baker Mayfield.

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first half against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

That's a big bargain for a quarterback who played at a top-10 level for most of the 2024 season. Darnold's massive improvement with the Minnesota Vikings should be enough to convince even the most skeptic of his critics that his game has graduated to another level. If Darnold can continue performing like this into 2025 and beyond Seattle will have one of, if not the best value contracts at QB in the NFL.

If all of this sounds familiar it's because Darnold's deal is pretty similar to the one Geno Smith signed three years ago, which also functioned as an excellent value. Hopefully Darnold continues to develop and he'll be worth even more by the time he's up for a new deal, and Seattle will be first in line to pay him if that's the case. If not, this kind of contract isn't going to break the bank for the Seahawks long-term the way some franchise QB deals can. A+ all around.

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