NFL Free Agency started with a bang on Monday afternoon. After trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday evening, the Seattle Seahawks landed their next franchise signal caller in Sam Darnold. On the opposite coast, the New York Jets lured Justin Fields away from the Pittsburgh Steelers to replace Aaron Rodgers.
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Quarterback moves naturally command the most attention of any NFL transaction. Without a quality signal-caller, you’re unlikely to compete for a division title, let alone a Lombardi Trophy. Darnold and Fields may not vault their new organizations into the top tier of Super Bowl contenders, but each team is feeling better about their outlook today than they were a week ago.
Darnold (three years, $100.5 million) earned a larger contract in free agency than Fields (two years, $40 million). The difference in length and average salary favoring Darnold is understandable. His 2024 campaign is easily the most prolific full season either of them has played. He earned a Pro Bowl nod and finished 10th in MVP voting for his efforts.
Despite their different deals, both men will be nicely compensated for playing football for the next few years. In fact, they’re each making more than $50K per day on their contracts. But Darnold is somehow pulling down more than one dollar per second.
- Per Year: $33.5 million
- Per Month: $2.79 million
- Per Week: $644,231
- Per Day: $91,781
- Per Second: $1.06
Fields obviously trails Darnold in each aspect since his annual salary is 59.7% of Darnold’s. Regardless, he’s still making nearly $400K each week.
- Per Year: $20 million
- Per Month: $1.67 million
- Per Week: $384,615
- Per Day: $54,795
- Per Second: $0.63
Darnold’s higher price tag comes with higher expectations. The Seahawks (10-7) lost the NFC West to the Los Angeles Rams – and missed out on a playoff berth – by the slimmest of margins in 2024. Los Angeles captured the division crown over Seattle on the league’s strength of victory tiebreaker, the fifth of 12 possible tiebreaking procedures. Darnold will be expected to lead the Seahawks back to the postseason in 2025.
Meanwhile, across the country, the New York Jets have an entirely new regime. Their general manager (Darren Mougey) and head coach (Aaron Glenn) are attempting to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought (14 seasons). Fields may be the man for the job, but he’ll have to beat out Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills if he wants to win the AFC East.
