Seattle Seahawks

The details of Sam Darnold's three-year contract that he signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency were unveiled on Sunday.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Darnold will receive $37.5 million fully guaranteed for the 2025 season. He'll earn $27.5 million in 2026, with $17.5 million guaranteed for injury that becomes fully guaranteed the week following Super Bowl LX. Darnold's 2027 compensation is a non-guaranteed $35.5 million.

Florio noted that the contract also includes $2 million per year for the quarterback's individual performance, $2.5 million per year for postseason performance and $500,000 per year for team performance.

Due to the structure of the agreement, Seattle can get out of Darnold's contract after one year if he isn't injured. His deal doesn't contain any dead money beyond 2025.

The 27-year-old signed a three-year contract worth $100.5 million with the Seahawks after spending the 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Darnold is coming off a breakout campaign in Minnesota, finishing with a record of 14-3 as a starter after primarily operating as a backup with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.

He completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions.

Seattle's hesitancy to include heavy guarantees beyond the first year of the deal could be due to some uncertainty surrounding Darnold replicating his 2024 success with the Vikings.

In the first six years of his career, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft owned a mere 21-35 record as a starter while tossing 63 touchdowns and getting picked off 56 times.

If Darnold fails to meet expectations with the Seahawks in 2025, Seattle could cut ties with the passer without having to worry about a heavy financial burden.

The Seattle Seahawks continued to have a busy offseason by signing wide receiver Cooper Kupp on Friday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Kupp agreed to a three-year contract worth $45 million with the Seahawks.

The former Los Angeles Rams receiver is now expected to serve as a top target for Sam Darnold after Seattle signed the quarterback to a three-year, $100.5 million deal earlier in free agency.

Fans and pundits were excited for the new duo.

Kupp became a free agent after the Rams released him on Wednesday. Los Angeles was previously attempting to trade the veteran before eventually parting ways with him.

Now, Kupp is set to join a Seahawks offense that'll look vastly different in 2025. Seattle traded 2024 starting quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round draft pick on March 7.

The Seahawks also dealt wideout DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers two days later, receiving a 2025 second-round pick in return.

Kupp is expected to operate out of the slot for a Seahawks offense that also features Jaxon Smith-Njigba and recent free-agent addition Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

The 31-year-old spent the first eight years of his career with the Rams prior to his release. Kupp's tenure with the team was highlighted by a 2021 campaign in which he led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16).

He also earned Super Bowl MVP honors during Los Angeles' championship run during the 2021 season.

Injuries have slowed down Kupp since, appearing in just 33 of a possible 51 regular-season games over the past three years. In 2024, he caught 67 passes for 710 yards and six touchdowns.

Darnold and Kupp will now attempt to lead the Seahawks to the playoffs after they narrowly missed the postseason in each of the past two years.

Sam Darnold has worn No. 14 his entire NFL career, and that won't change on the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks announced Thursday that their new quarterback will wear his familiar number during the 2025 campaign:

It is notable that No. 14 was available, as it was previously worn by wide receiver DK Metcalf. However, Seattle traded Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.

It also traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and released veteran wideout Tyler Lockett while signing Darnold. The offense will take on an entirely new look during the upcoming campaign and will surely feature even more of Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Darnold's go-to option.

The 27-year-old signal-caller has played for the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings throughout his career and was largely known for failing to live up to expectations as the No. 3 pick of the 2018 NFL draft before last year.

Yet that perception changed in 2024 as he led the Vikings to a 14-3 record while completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

That performance came at an ideal time before he hit free agency, and Seattle rewarded him with a new three-year, $110.5 million deal this offseason.

They also had his familiar number available after trading Metcalf, and Darnold will look to build on the individual momentum he created during the 2024 campaign with a new team.

The Seattle Seahawks are hoping their quarterback plan will convince DK Metcalf to withdraw his trade request.

Per ESPN's Lindsey Thiry, there's "some optimism" within the Seahawks organization that potentially signing Sam Darnold in free agency will "alter the conversation" with Metcalf.

Seattle pulled off a surprise move on Friday night by agreeing to trade Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2025 third-round draft pick, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

In the immediate aftermath of that deal being reported, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted the Seahawks were expected to explore signing Darnold.

Appearing on the GoJo and Golic show (starts at 1:08:25 mark), The Athletic's Dianna Russini suggested Metcalf wasn't the biggest fan of Smith by saying his trade request was inspired partly because he wanted to play for a team with a "more stable quarterback situation."

There had been some buzz that Darnold could return to the Minnesota Vikings, but Pelissero reported on Saturday that is not expected to happen and the team has started focusing their efforts on other options.

Metcalf had been the focus in Seattle prior to the Smith trade. He received permission from the team earlier in the week to explore trade options after requesting to be dealt.

Per Russini, Michael Shawn-Dugar and Chris Licata, the Seahawks were seeking a first- and third-round pick to move Metcalf. The report also noted the star receiver is seeking an extension worth $30 million per season.

Metcalf is entering the final season of his current contract that will pay him an $18 million base salary.

If Darnold ends up in Seattle, it will be interesting to see what his contract looks like. Russini noted Smith was seeking a new deal worth between $40-45 million annually.

Darnold had better stats last season than Smith, but the difference in circumstances between Minnesota and Seattle were fairly extreme.

It can certainly be debated if Darnold would offer the Seahawks more quarterback stability than Smith, but that seems to be the bet the team is willing to make to keep Metcalf happy if the deal with Darnold ends up coming together.

Metcalf has spent his entire six-year NFL career in Seattle. He has never had a season with fewer than 900 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

The Seattle Seahawks appear likely to run it back with quarterback Geno Smith in 2025.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Friday's Scoop City podcast that the Seahawks don't appear to be pursuing a free agent quarterback and that she hasn't "heard anything" to indicate the Seahawks want to "move away" from the veteran.

"I don't get the sense right now, and this could change as this thing heats up," Russini said. "I don't get the sense that the Seahawks are in on any specific quarterback that's a free agent here. So that tells me they're fine going with Geno moving forward. And I haven't heard anything, even when I was in Indy, that this is a Seahawks team looking to move away from him.”

Smith has been the Seahawks' starter for the last three seasons and has compiled a 27-22 overall record. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2024 and led the team to a 10-7 record in 2024.

The 34-year-old is set to make $14.8 million in 2025 and will be a free agent following the season. While the Seahawks could search for a better starter on the market, Smith has proved to be very adequate and Seattle could opt to develop a rookie under him in 2025 while he finishes his contract.

The Seahawks could also view Smith as the long-term answer and build around him while they contend against strong opponents in the NFC West. Seattle has $32.5 million in cap space ahead of free agency.

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider confirmed that the team has fielded several trade offers regarding star wide receiver DK Metcalf.

"We’re talking to a ton of teams, taking offers, seeing what that looks like," Schneider said on his weekly KIRO-AM radio show, via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.

He didn't completely shut the door on Metcalf possibly remaining with the Seahawks in 2025, though.

"He understands we’re going to head down this road, we’re going to do the best thing we can for the organization, and if things don’t fall the way he wants, there’s a good chance he could end up being here," Schneider said. "And at that point, we all turn the corner and move forward. Through this whole process, he’s been extremely professional and respectful."

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Metcalf requested a trade, with Seattle agreeing to "explore options.

The request came after "a series of conversations over the past two weeks" between both sides, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter also noted that Metcalf "prefers" to be dealt to a team with contending aspirations.

The 27-year-old has one season remaining on a three-year contract worth $72 million that he signed with Seattle in 2022. He'll carry a cap hit of just under $31.9 million for the 2025 season, via Spotrac.

It's easy to see why the Seahawks may choose to retain Metcalf if they don't feel that there are acceptable offers from opposing teams, as their wide receiver depth is already thin after releasing veteran Tyler Lockett on Wednesday.

Still, several organizations already seem to be targeting Metcalf.

Rapoport listed the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots and Houston Texans as teams to "keep an eye on" regarding the receiver.

Metcalf fell just shy of recording his third consecutive season with at least 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, racking up 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns in 15 appearances.

The two-time Pro Bowl wideout has surpassed 900 receiving yards in all six years of his career.

Seattle will continue negotiations with interested front offices as the offseason progresses, but Metcalf isn't guaranteed to experience a change of scenery before the start of the 2025 season.

The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly setting quite the starting asking price for wide receiver DK Metcalf.

Dianna Russini, Michael Shawn-Dugar and Chris Licata of The Athletic reported Thursday that Metcalf requested a trade and the Seahawks want a first-round pick and third-round pick in return. The report also said Metcalf wants a new contract from whichever team trades for him that would be worth approximately $30 million per year.

Seattle may have to settle for less draft compensation than that, considering potential suitors might also have to make a significant financial commitment to the wide receiver since the 2025 season is the final year of his contract.

Shawn-Dugar explained "any deal that doesn't include at least a second-round pick is a non-starter for Seattle."

Shawn-Dugar also noted there have not been any trade talks between the Seahawks and Green Bay Packers despite reports suggesting otherwise. He did list the Packers as a logical destination given their lack of a No. 1 wideout and the torn ACL that will sideline Christian Watson for some of the 2025 campaign, but nothing has developed as of Thursday.

The contract situation is the biggest variable in any discussions, as teams surely won't want to give up first- and third-round draft picks for someone who will be just a rental player. And they also won't want to give up that much on top of a significant new deal that will eat into the salary cap.

There was no shortage of headline wide receiver trades during the 2024 season, some of which suggest the Seahawks likely won't get their initial asking price.

DeAndre Hopkins went to the Kansas City Chiefs for a conditional fifth-round pick, Davante Adams went to the New York Jets for a conditional third-round pick, and Amari Cooper and a sixth-round pick went to the Buffalo Bills for a third-round pick and a seventh-round pick.

There is a difference between trading for a wide receiver in the middle of the season as opposed to the offseason when teams know they will have him for the entire upcoming campaign, but Hopkins, Adams and Cooper are all marquee names who went for nowhere close to what Seattle wants for Metcalf.

At his best, Metcalf is a game-changing wide receiver who can use his combination of speed and physicality to overpower defenders, high-point jump balls and dominate in the red zone.

He is a two-time Pro Bowler with three seasons of more than 1,000 receiving yards and two seasons of double-digit touchdown catches on his resume. None of those marks came in 2024 when he posted 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns while taking something of a backseat to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but he was still effective.

How effective other teams believe he can be moving forward will ultimately decide how much Seattle gets in return.

The Seattle Seahawks won't trade DK Metcalf just for the sake of placating the veteran wide receiver.

One team source told ESPN's Brady Henderson "we will do what's best for the Seahawks" when discussing Metcalf's desire to be dealt.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday the Seahawks "have agreed to explore options" after Metcalf requested a trade.

It's unclear how much this actually changes things because there were already rumblings the Seahawks were at least exploring trade options for the 27-year-old.

As far as what the Seahawks consider to be "best" for them in a trade, they have put a high price tag on Metcalf. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported on Thursday that Seattle wants a first- and third-round pick in exchange for Metcalf.

Russini also noted Metcalf wants a new contract that pays him around $30 million per season. He has an $18 million base salary in 2025, the final season of his three-year, $72 million contract.

There aren't a lot of teams that seem likely to give up that much, both in terms of draft capital and money, to acquire Metcalf. The closest comparisons for that type of deal happened in 2022 when both Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill were traded.

Adams went from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Green Bay Packers for a first- and second-round pick in the 2022 draft. He also signed a five-year contract worth $140 million after the deal.

The Miami Dolphins acquired Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs for five draft picks, including first-, second- and fourth-round selections in 2022. He got a four-year, $120 million extension from the Dolphins in the deal.

Metcalf is a very good receiver, but no one would argue he's on the level Adams or Hill were when they got traded. Unless the Seahawks come down in their asking price, or there's a team desperate enough to add a pass-catcher, it seems unlikely right now anything will come of his request.

A second-round draft pick in 2019, Metcalf has racked up 6,324 receiving yards and 48 touchdowns in 97 career games.

On Wednesday, reports surfaced that Seattle Seahawks star receiver DK Metcalf requested a trade shortly after it was revealed that the team was parting ways with 10-year veteran wideout Tyler Lockett this offseason.

The timing of the reports didn't sit well with the Seahawks, as a source told ESPN's Brady Henderson that the team was "upset that news of Metcalf's trade request was leaked on a day the organization was celebrating Lockett's 10-year career in Seattle."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Metcalf's trade request came "after a series of conversations over the past two weeks" and added that the wideout would prefer to land with a contender. Henderson noted that the source "said the team will explore a Metcalf trade, adding, 'We will do what's best for the Seahawks.'"

Metcalf's impending departure coupled with Lockett's release will leave Seattle thin at the receiver position. Rising star Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the team with 100 catches, 1,130 yards and six touchdowns during his sophomore campaign in 2024, and he will be counted upon to spearhead the passing attack once again.

Despite the poor timing of the reports, Metcalf's trade request is sure to garner a significant amount of interest from teams around the league who are hoping to land a game-changing talent on the outside.

Tyler Lockett's 10-year run with the Seattle Seahawks has come to an end ahead of the start of free agency next week.

The Seahawks officially announced Lockett's released on Wednesday.

Lockett posted a farewell message to Seahawks fans on X:

Per Over the Cap, the Seahawks will save $17 million against the cap with Lockett's release.

Lockett signed a restructured contract with the Seahawks worth $30 million over two years in March 2024.

The Seahawks had been coy about Lockett's future with the organization prior to his release. General manager John Schneider told reporters at the NFL scouting combine he didn't know if Lockett would be on the roster in 2025.

Given the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Geno Smith's favorite target last season and overlapping of his skill set, particularly in the slot, with Lockett's made it seem increasingly unlikely the 32-year-old would be back.

The Seahawks also have D.K. Metcalf as their No. 2 receiver. While there has been some trade chatter around him recently, The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar reported on Monday there has been "nothing substantial" about Metcalf being dealt thus far.

Per Over the Cap, the Seahawks are now up to $32.6 million in cap space after Wednesday's move.

A third-round draft pick out of Kansas State in 2015, Lockett is the second-most productive receiver in Seahawks history. He ranks second to Steve Largent in receptions (661), receiving yards (8,594) and receiving touchdowns (61).

Lockett posted four consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards from 2019 to '22. He finished last season with 600 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games.