Sam Darnold could be lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he leads the Seattle Seahawks into Super Bowl LX. The NFC West winners will face the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX.
The AFC outfit won in 2014, defeating the Seahawks 28-24, and Darnold will be looking to reverse that devastating result on Sunday. The 28-year-old has had to work extremely hard to reach this point.
He went from being written off as a draft flop with the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets to thriving with the Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and now the Seahawks.
Here, Mirror Sport has outlined everything you need to know about Darnold's newest NFL contract and who he has supporting him.
What is Sam Darnold's salary?After an impressive season with the Vikings in 2024, Darnold secured a huge deal with the Seahawks as a free agent. The three-year contract is worth a staggering £73million ($100m), with around £40m guaranteed to land in his account.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page
His average annual salary will amount to roughly £24.5m, which is modest compared to many other quarterbacks across the league. For example, the highest-paid QB in the NFL is the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott, who earns around £44m annually as part of a massive £175m overall deal.
• New England Patriots star reveals why he hasn't proposed to famous popstar girlfriend
• NFL respond to Bad Bunny's ICE protests as statement released ahead of Super Bowl LX
Darnold's contract also includes other performance-related incentives designed to motivate him. Annual bonuses totalling £1.5m are up for grabs, tied to touchdown passes, completion percentages, passing yards and quarterback ratings.
Should he feature in more than 70% of the team's plays and they rank among the top 10 for net offensive yards in the NFL, Darnold will bank £365,000.
The quarterback has already pocketed over £1m for guiding the Seahawks to Super Bowl LX as part of his play-off bonus structure, and he stands to earn nearly £2m if they lift the Lombardi trophy.
Who is Sam Darnold engaged to?
Darnold enjoys the backing of his fiancée, Katie Hoofnagle, a former college footballer who represented the University of South Carolina. The couple have been together since 2023, going public with their relationship that summer.
They first crossed paths whilst Darnold was still playing for the Panthers, and Hoofnagle has travelled across the country to be by her partner's side. Shortly after putting pen to paper on his Seahawks contract, the quarterback got down on one knee and received an enthusiastic response.
Sharing a snap of her engagement ring on social media, the former college athlete wrote: "Yes!!!!"
Hoofnagle has remained a loyal supporter throughout the QB's rollercoaster career. Speaking to US Weekly, he revealed just how well-versed his partner is in all things NFL.
Darnold said: "The support [from] my girlfriend is unbelievable. The fact that she just understands it. She's a former athlete herself, and just gets kind of the grind of everything.
"When I just want to chill, she's very up for that, especially during the season. She's great. She's always been my biggest supporter. And I love her, and I thank her for that all the time."
-
This small green leaf will squeeze out even the sugar that has crossed 500 with a drop of blood, it will eliminate all traces of blood pressure and cholesterol! – News Himachali News Himachali

-
India, Greece to reaffirm defence ties; Rajnath Singh to meet counterpart

-
Revanth Reddy dubs BRS ‘Blackmail Rajakiya Samithi’ over phone-tapping

-
Assam: Sarma doubles down on Gogoi’s alleged ‘Pakistan link’

-
Liverpool boss Arne Slot accused of 'tone deaf' comments and treating fans like they're 'stupid'
