One of the biggest surprises of the 2024 NFL season has been the Minnesota Vikings and quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold is on his fourth NFL team in seven years, and he’s playing the best football of his professional career. Let’s examine Darnold’s salary, contract, net worth, and career earnings.
Sam Darnold’s Contract and 2024 Salary
Back in March, Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Vikings. His deal featured a $6.25 million signing bonus and $8.75 million guaranteed at signing, with a cap hit of just $5 million.
Darnold’s contract has quickly become one of the biggest bargains in the NFL. He has the 32nd-highest cap hit among NFL quarterbacks this season, according to Spotrac. Darnold has a lower cap hit ($5 million) than backups like Washington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota ($6 million) and Dallas Cowboys QB Trey Lance ($5.3 million).
Darnold is on his fourth NFL team after previous stints with the New York Jets (who drafted him No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft), Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers.
Initially, it seemed like Darnold might be Minnesota’s backup since the Vikings drafted former Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft. However, during the preseason, McCarthy tore his meniscus and needed season-ending surgery.
Darnold’s Career Earnings and Net Worth
When his 2024 contract is up, Darnold will have earned $65,253,948 from his NFL contracts alone.
Darnold’s net worth is estimated to be roughly $30 million.
In addition to his NFL deals, Darnold has also partnered with companies and made some investments. In his rookie year, he partnered with KonaRed Hawaiian Coffee and publicly invested in Therabody for athlete recovery in 2021.
Darnold has made the most of his opportunity in Minnesota, playing the best football of his career in a contract year. If he finishes the season strong, he could be poised for a huge contract next offseason.