From the moment the NFC Divisional Round between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers started, the game never looked close, with the Seahawks dominating to win 41-6.
Despite being questionable to play, Sam Darnold played through injury. Not only did the quarterback guide his team to the Conference Championship match, but he also took home some contractual incentives along the way.
Seattle Seahawks’ Quarterback Sam Darnold Earns Contract Incentive for Playing Time
Last season, Darnold had a career-best season with the Minnesota Vikings, completing 66.2% of passes for 4319 yards and 35 touchdowns while only throwing 12 interceptions.
The quarterback was in a contract year and secured a three-year, $100,500,000 contract with the Seahawks, prompting the trade of Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders.
As part of his contractual incentives, Darnold secured an additional $500,000. On social media, Spotrac explained the incentive as follows:
“A #Seahawks win tonight in which Sam Darnold takes 70% of the offensive snaps secures him a $500,000 bonus. The 28-year-old has already added $2M of incentives in 2025.”
A #Seahawks win tonight in which Sam Darnold takes 70% of the offensive snaps secures him a $500,000 bonus.
The 28-year-old has already added $2M of incentives in 2025.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) January 18, 2026
There are plenty of incentives in his contract, and a lot actually to watch for during the playoffs. For example, he can earn $1,500,000 for a Conference Championship win and another $2,500,000 for a Super Bowl win.
Thankfully, Darnold didn’t miss tonight’s game, which allowed him to secure the extra $500,000. With the win, he should also secure another $1,000,000 for the Divisional Round win.
It was reported that Darnold suffered an oblique injury in Thursday’s practice, which caused him to miss the rest of the week’s preparations. As a result, Drew Lock was taking snaps with the first team offense in case he couldn’t play.
Yet, in the face of injury, Darnold persisted. In tonight’s game, he completed 70.6% of passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t need to do a lot, considering running back Kenneth Walker III rushed 19 times for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
In PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric, the Seahawks finished the regular season ranked as the ninth-best offensive team with an impact score of 79.8 and a letter grade of C+.
Darnold himself ranked 13th among quarterbacks in the league according to PFSN’s NFL Quarterback Impact Metric, with an impact score of 78.7 and a letter grade of C+. This season, he’s completed 67.7% of passes for 4048 yards and 25 touchdowns while throwing 14 interceptions.
As Darnold attempts to lead his team to the Super Bowl, he’ll try to rack up more incentives along the way. However, will the Seahawks be able to get past the winner of the Los Angeles Rams vs the Chicago Bears game?
