Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has a way of doing business, and he won’t change it after all these years.
The Seahawks don’t give contract extensions early, and he won’t make an exception, not even for Sam Darnold after a Super Bowl-winning season. Of course, that doesn’t mean the former New York Jets draft pick won’t get paid. He’ll just have to wait like everybody else.
Even so, the Seahawks will make him worth the while. According to NFL Network insider Daniel Jeremiah, he’s looking at more than $50 million per year in his new contract.
The Seahawks may overpay for Sam Darnold
“I think he’s heading in that direction,” Jeremiah told “Brock and Salk” on Seattle Sports Radio. “If [the Seahawks are] going to stick to their guns on their policy and he comes out and has a year that approaches what he did last year, I would say he’s going to land in that ballpark.”
Jeremiah admitted that the deal would probably be a bit too rich for Darnold. However, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt, not to mention that he’s been a positive addition to the locker room and a strong leader for the organization.
“I think he’s also going to get the benefit of who he is as a person. It’s like, ‘OK, I don’t feel super comfortable paying this, but he’s going to allow me to feel a little more comfortable because of who he is and how he’s viewed,'” added Jeremiah.
Darnold was always seen as the Seahawks’ weakest link, but he delivered when it mattered the most. He didn’t turn the ball over in the playoffs, was poised and in control of the offense and made big plays when needed.
Now, he’ll have to prove that last year’s success wasn’t a fluke and earn that new deal, which might be even more difficult than winning the Super Bowl in the first place.