It’s official: After months of regular-season and playoff games, the Seattle Seahawks are the winners of Super Bowl 60 after beating the New England Patriots by a score of 29-13.
The Seahawks’ defense was the difference-maker tonight, but with the win, first-year Seahawk Sam Darnold earned another $2.5 million in incentives.
Seattle Seahawks Playoff Win Makes Sam Darnold $2.5 Million Richer
After a resurgent season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, Darnold signed with the Seahawks on a three-year contract worth $100.5 million. With the victory tonight, Darnold activated another incentive in his contract, earning $2.5 million. Before the game, CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones explained how the incentive would be triggered:
“With a Seahawks victory tonight, Sam Darnold will trigger a $2.5 million playoff incentive. League sources believe Darnold could be in line for an extension this offseason with a win, just one year after signing his 3-year, $100.5M contract with Seattle.”
With a Seahawks victory tonight, Sam Darnold will trigger a $2.5 million playoff incentive. League sources believe Darnold could be in line for an extension this offseason with a win, just one year after signing his 3-year, $100.5M contract with Seattle.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 8, 2026
In the game, Darnold completed 50% of his passes (19 of 38) for 202 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked only once and was fortunate it was limited to that, as he faced significant pressure from New England defenders. Regardless, he is now a Super Bowl champion and $2.5 million richer.
Jones also suggested that Darnold could be in line for an extension, considering he now has two years left on his contract. Frankly, it is hard to argue that he does not deserve one.
In PFSN’s NFL Quarterback Impact Metric (QBi), Darnold finished the regular season ranked as the 13th-best quarterback in the league. He posted an impact score of 78.7 and a letter grade of C+.
During the regular season, he completed 67.7% of his passes for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Additionally, he rushed 35 times for 95 yards and no touchdowns.
In three playoff games, Darnold completed 61.5% of his passes for 672 yards and five touchdowns. Tonight was the worst of his three playoff performances, but it did not matter.
The moment surely means a lot for Darnold. Before his time with the Seahawks and Vikings, he was viewed as a journeyman and a potential backup quarterback despite being drafted third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft. Despite the failures and struggles he faced in the NFL, he has redeemed himself and now appears to be a Seattle legend.
