Seahawks contract triggers in 2027

Important Seahawks contract dates to look ahead to next year

The Seattle Seahawks are remarkably well setup for the future, especially on offense, locking down most of their key players for years to come. Within those details, there are a few interesting contract triggers to look ahead to next year, starting five days after the Super Bowl.

A game that the Seahawks will hopefully have also won again.

Roster Bonuses

QB Sam Darnold - $10 million

Darnold’s $13.4 million cap number in 2025 is one of the most underrated aspects to Seattle’s Super Bowl victory. Just as Darnold’s rising cap price will slightly complicate their efforts to repeat:

• $37.9 million cap hit in 2026

• $44.9 million cap hit in 2027

• $12.8 million cap hit in 2028 (void year)

Not that Darnold will necessarily play at those numbers. In fact, he almost certainly won’t have that cap hit in 2027.

Unless John Schneider ignores his own rule to not extend players with multiple seasons left on their contract, Darnold will not be extended until 2027, which makes sense because his base salary of $35.5 million in addition to a $10 million roster bonus (due March 17) seems untenable.

An extension would bring his base salary down to single digits and all the Seahawks to bring down his $44.9 million cap number.

There is no indication that the Seahawks need cap space right now, but Seattle would save up to $22.65 million if they restructure Darnold’s contract.

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba - $30 million (guaranteed option)

JSN’s four-year, $168.6 million extension contains $69.13 million guaranteed at signing, which consists of a $35 million signing bonus, this $30 million option bonus in 2027 (due March 20), and his 2026-2027 salary.

Smith-Njigba is set to have a $15.63 million cap hit in 2027, but he becomes a very expensive receiver by 2028.

By 2030, Seattle really has to love JSN, at which point his cap hit is at least $48.8 million, if they haven’t restructured his contract at all before then.

WR Cooper Kupp - $1 million

Kupp’s three-year, $45 million contract will turn out to be no less than a two-year, $31 million contract. Kupp’s cap hit is almost the exact same over the next two seasons, something you rarely see:

• 2026: $17.47 million

• 2027: $18 million

Next year’s number includes a $1 million bonus if Kupp is on the roster on March 17.

If Kupp has a similar season in 2026 as the had in 2025, the team has proven that they’re open to paying him that much, regardless of age.

Guarantees

These are all guarantees on recent contracts that are almost certain to go through on the 5th day of the 2027 league year:

LT Charles Cross: $15m full salary, bonuses

WR Rashid Shaheed: $11.735m full salary

CB Josh Jobe: $4.75m of salary

OLB Derick Hall: $4.22m full salary, bonuses

RT Abe Lucas: $594k injury guarantee*

*fifth day of league waiver period (Feb 18)

We can almost guarantee that these will all be triggered.

Cross will have his entire $13.63m 2027 salary guaranteed, plus $1.4 million in certain bonuses. The Seahawks have no legitimate “out” on Cross’s contract until at least 2029, and even that would be surprising with $16m of dead cap.

Shaheed’s entire $11.7 million salary is guaranteed as well. His cap hit goes up from $7 million this year to $16.5 million next year. His third year cap hit is $19.5 million, and then he had a $8 million void year in 2029.

Jobe’s contract is an underrated bargain. He has a $4.8 million cap hit in 2026 and $8.8 million in 2027, including a $5.9 million base salary; almost all of it becomes guaranteed on February 10, 2027.

Hall was an important extension to get done for Schneider. The first year of that contract doesn’t start until 2027, and he’ll get all $4.22 million of his compensation next year guaranteed too.

Contract Void

DT Leonard Williams

One other note, but not that meaningful because it’s not like anyone can stop it or start it: Williams’ contract becomes void on February 20.

Well, that’s not entirely true: Seattle can (and should) extend Williams before then.

But for what it’s worth, his contract becomes void next February.

Seaside Joe 2695