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Why Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Lost $249K Despite Winning Super Bowl
The Sporting News ^ | 2/11 | Cole Sullivan

Posted on 02/10/2026 2:32:28 PM PST by nickcarraway

The Seattle Seahawks dominated their way to a Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, defeating the New England Patriots 29-13 behind a strong defensive performance, a clean game from quarterback Sam Darnold and multiple big plays from Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker.

You’d think that with a Super Bowl win, most players would be in line for a hefty game check — plus possible bonuses.

However, that's not the case in California.

Despite the victory, Darnold actually ended up losing out on roughly $249,000 due to the state’s “jock tax,” which is calculated based on duty days. For Darnold, that figure stemmed from spending seven days in California, a breakdown explained by former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason.

“For winning the Super Bowl, the winning team — each player gets $178,000,” Esiason said. “In other words, the Super Bowl isn’t a part of their salary. And because the game was played in California, and California has a jock tax, they look at duty days. Each team spends seven days in the state, and they tax your regular salary at 3.5 percent.”

“So when you take into account the $178,000 bonus plus his regular salary, he ends up paying the state of California about $249,000 for those seven days.”

While several states — including Ohio, New York, Illinois and New Jersey — impose a jock tax, California’s is by far the highest. Because of that, Esiason urged the NFL Players Association to take a firm stance against playing future Super Bowls in the state.

“Now, if I’m the NFLPA, I’m saying, ‘Hey, we’re not playing any more Super Bowls in California. We’re just not doing it,’” Esiason added.

Unfortunately for that position, Super Bowl 61 is already scheduled to be played next February at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: california; crackifornia; excuses4stealafornia; excuses4stealifornia; samdarnold; stealafornia; stealifornia; superbowl; taxes

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1 posted on 02/10/2026 2:32:28 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

2 posted on 02/10/2026 2:33:40 PM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: dfwgator

Somali pirates are less rapacious.


3 posted on 02/10/2026 2:37:12 PM PST by Theophilus (covfefe)
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To: nickcarraway

They moved the MLB All Star Game from Atlanta with late notice.


4 posted on 02/10/2026 2:37:32 PM PST by alternatives?
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To: alternatives?

Have those who so desire play in next year’s Super Bowl at TPUSA. lol


5 posted on 02/10/2026 2:40:34 PM PST by butterdezillion
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To: nickcarraway

Other income no doubt more than makes up for that.


6 posted on 02/10/2026 2:40:59 PM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: nickcarraway

They don’t care. They love that blue state woke stuff don’t they.


7 posted on 02/10/2026 2:42:31 PM PST by arkfreepdom
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To: nickcarraway
If I was an NFL player I would be perfectly content to fake an injury to avoid playing in the Super Bowl — for this very reason.

And if you’re “injured,” you can’t show up to watch the game in person on the sideline because you’d probably be taxed in that situation, too.

8 posted on 02/10/2026 2:42:51 PM PST by Alberta's Child ("There's somebody new and he sure ain't no rodeo man.")
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To: nickcarraway

That is sad!


9 posted on 02/10/2026 2:43:04 PM PST by madison10
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To: Alberta's Child

NFL rules are that you have to be in uniform on tge sideline to get paid.


10 posted on 02/10/2026 2:46:49 PM PST by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
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To: nickcarraway

Is he the only one who had to pay the rax?


11 posted on 02/10/2026 2:51:51 PM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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To: nickcarraway

Currently being proposed in Washington state (surprised?) too.


12 posted on 02/10/2026 2:54:55 PM PST by llevrok (“'Remember when' is the lowest form of conversation.” - Tony Soprano)
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To: nickcarraway

What a rip off.


13 posted on 02/10/2026 2:55:49 PM PST by Hyman Roth
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To: Texas Eagle

Nope, every player paid the tax, they’re just highlighting the QB.


14 posted on 02/10/2026 3:06:38 PM PST by ro_dreaming (Who knew "Idiocracy", "1984", "Enemy of the State", and "Person of Interest" would be non-fiction?)
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To: Alberta's Child

California taxes the wages you earn while in the state. It doesn’t matter whether you played or not.


If I was an NFL player I would be perfectly content to fake an injury to avoid playing in the Super Bowl — for this very reason.
And if you’re “injured,” you can’t show up to watch the game in person on the sideline because you’d probably be taxed in that situation, too.


15 posted on 02/10/2026 3:08:04 PM PST by Dacula (Jesus is the only true savior. I reject satan and his pedophile fake prophet.)
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To: dfwgator

Stealafornia, along with Crackifornia, gets added to the nicknames of Mousselini’s state.


16 posted on 02/10/2026 3:14:20 PM PST by an amused spectator (principled conservatism is Lefty subterfuge)
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To: 9YearLurker

WTF? Did you take a wrong turn at Albuquerque?


17 posted on 02/10/2026 3:17:10 PM PST by an amused spectator (principled conservatism is Lefty subterfuge)
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To: an amused spectator; 9YearLurker
He's right. According to Spotrac, Darnold made $5.3M + a $32M signing bonus this year. He still has two years left on his contract, but there is a good chance he signs an improved contract before then. I'm not sure how much he got in endorsements, but that will go way up. Every contract he signs from now on will be higher, in or outside football.

And that's true, even though his play wasn't really what won the Super Bowl, or made the team successful.

And besides money, there was a lot more benefit, since he was drafted by the Jets and was considered a draft bust. And took a lot of heat for that. Not everyone is convinced he's a great QB now, but he won't have to deal with what he did before.

18 posted on 02/10/2026 3:24:02 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

The weather is pretty good in Phoenix this time of year. Just saying...


19 posted on 02/10/2026 3:56:26 PM PST by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: nickcarraway

The losing side had to pay it too. That must REALLY suck


20 posted on 02/10/2026 3:58:27 PM PST by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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