Sam Darnold Lost Money Winning the Super Bowl Thanks to California’s Tax Bite

Sam Darnold paid $71,000 to play in Super Bowl LX.

Sam Darnold Lost Money Winning the Super Bowl Thanks to California’s Tax Bite

Sam Darnold (Image via IMAGO)

Sam Darnold helped the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX by defeating the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in California. Darnold threw for 202 yards and 1 touchdown on 19 completions as the Seahawks secured a 29-13 victory. That said, his celebration is bittersweet, as winning his first ring ended up costing him money instead of earning it.

According to retired NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, now the host of a morning talk show on WFAN Sports Radio, Boomer and Gio highlighted that Darnold lost money due to California state taxes. For those who don’t know, athletes who live outside California but come to play there have to pay a “jock tax.” As a result, Darnold paid nearly a quarter of a million dollars over the weekend.

Esiason mentioned that players on the winning team receive about $178,000, which isn’t included in their salary. Moreover, they took seven “duty days,” which deducted 3.5% from their salaries.

So he [Sam Darnold] has to pay—when you take into account he got the $178,000 plus his overall salary, he has to pay the state of California for spending seven days there $249,000.

Boomer Esiason said

So, by layman’s math, Darnold paid $71,000 from his salary to play in Super Bowl LX. One advantage for Darnold is that he signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seahawks at the start of the 2025 NFL season. He can afford to take the hit. Then what about the players who aren’t on a quarterback’s salary? Especially for rookies and second- or third-year players, they’re the real losers in the California state tax system.

Stanford economics professor Joshua Rauh made a sarcastic remark on the entire arrangement. Rauh explained,

If his team wins, Darnold will receive $178k and pay $249k to California in taxes for his time here, losing $71k. If his team loses, he gets $103k and still pays over $235k in taxes, losing $135k. I presume California is declaring victory, as his incentive to win is preserved.

According to an article from Citizens’ Watch Report, California has the highest top marginal income tax rate in the country, which is about 14.6%. In simpler terms, the states makes 1% earners pay nearly half of the taxes. They use the money to improve their quality of life.

Several NFL players, mostly athletes on veteran contracts, tend to avoid high-tax-paying states toward the end of their careers. Some realize the game early on. For example, Tyreek Hill once mentioned he moved to Florida, a tax-free state, to keep more of his hard-earned money instead of paying Kansas City (State of Missouri) taxes.

Sam Darnold says his season with the 49ers was the key to fueling his Super Bowl run

Darnold’s start to his NFL career was anything but memorable. A third overall pick, Darnold was cut after just three seasons in New York. He bounced around from Carolina to San Francisco and Minnesota before arriving in Seattle.

Sam Darnold Lost Money Winning the Super Bowl Thanks to California’s Tax Bite
Sam Darnold (Image via IMAGO)

The 49ers brought Darnold in ahead of the 2023 season as Brock Purdy‘s backup. His time in the spotlight was limited, but the experience left a deep impact on him as a player and a human being.

It’s funny how it works. I didn’t play great football the first few years of my career. Then I came here to San Francisco, and I learned a ton. And I think because of that year in San Francisco, I was able to learn a ton.

Sam Darnold told the press after the Super Bowl (H/T: Heavy.com)

The Vikings benefited from this detour. They went 14-3 and played in the wildcard round in 2024. However, he wasn’t re-signed and subsequently joined the Seahawks, winning a ring. Darnold became the first quarterback to play for five different teams before his first Super Bowl victory.

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