Sam Darnold's net worth in 2024 is $30 million. Darnold will now take on the role of starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings after JJ McCarthy's injury. Let's look at Sam Darnold's net worth in 2024.
What is Sam Darnold's net worth in 2024?: $30 million (estimate)
Sam Darnold's net worth in 2024 sits at about $30 million, according to Pro Football Network.
Darnold was born in Dana Point, California, on June 5, 1997. He attended San Clemente High School and played baseball during his freshman season.
He turned to football and basketball for his sophomore year and excelled in basketball. Darnold was the South Coast League's Most Valuable Player. Darnold's former coach believed he could have played college basketball in a Power 5 conference.
However, Darnold's first love was playing football. He played wide receiver and linebacker but moved to quarterback after the starter suffered an injury.
He threw a touchdown pass and two-point conversion to win the game and set the table for his eventual full-time move. Darnold starred once he finally moved, setting the school record for most touchdown passes in a game with five on two occasions.
Darnold had 3,000 passing yards and 39 touchdowns with 800 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in his senior season. He was a four-star recruit and was the eighth-best dual-threat quarterback in his class. He received scholarship offers from multiple Power 5 schools but eventually decided on going to USC.
Sam Darnold's college career
Darnold redshirted behind Cody Kessler and Max Browne in his freshman year. He entered the 2016 season as the second-string quarterback behind Browne. Darnold was the backup for the first three games but took control of the offense in the fourth game against Utah. Darnold threw for 253 yards and a rushing touchdown in the loss but did enough to stay as the starter.
The Trojans didn't lose another game for the rest of the season with Darnold setting the school record for passing touchdowns by a freshman with 26. Darnold won the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.
Darnold set Rose Bowl records in his first bowl game, throwing five touchdowns and 473 total yards. He was also the first-ever winner of the Archie Griffin Award for college football's most valuable player to his team.
The Trojans didn't have as good of a season the following year. The team had a new receiver group, injuries, and disappointing coaching.
However, Darnold's excellence propelled them to a Pac-12 Championship Game victory over the Stanford Cardinal, where Darnold threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. Darnold's final collegiate game was against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, which they lost despite Darnold's 356 passing yards.
Darnold announced he would forego the rest of his collegiate eligibility to enter the 2018 NFL Draft. He had an outstanding combine, which solidified him atop many teams' draft boards.
The New York Jets took a chance on him, drafting Darnold third overall. Darnold signed a four-year, $30.25 million fully guaranteed contract with a $20 million signing bonus to kick off his career.
Sam Darnold's professional career
Darnold became the youngest opening-day starting quarterback since the merger when he started against the Detroit Lions on September 10, 2018. Darnold's first pass couldn't have gone worse and was a precursor to the rest of his Jets' career.
His first pass was an interception, which Quandre Diggs returned for a touchdown. However, he finished with 198 passing yards and two touchdowns in the 48-17 victory. Darnold finished the season with 2,865 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.
Darnold's 2019 season was poor, and it started like that with a 17-16 loss where he had only 179 passing yards and a touchdown. He was diagnosed with mononucleosis on September 12, which infamously made him miss three games. The diagnosis didn't go over well with Jets fans, although how he contracted the ailment was never proven.
The 2019 season was also the infamous moment where NFL Films caught Darnold saying he was “seeing ghosts” in a game against the New England Patriots, which is still the subject of memes and jokes on social media.
The Jets finished 2-14 in Darnold's last season, which showed no progress being made under Darnold. The Jets traded him to the Carolina Panthers, who exercised the fifth-year option on Darnold's contract worth $18.5 million. Darnold had two semi-successful seasons with the Panthers, but the team didn't renew his deal when the time came.
The San Francisco 49ers signed Darnold to a one-year deal for the 2023 season, with Darnold winning the backup QB job over Trey Lance. The 49ers liked what they saw from Darnold, as they also traded Lance. Darnold started the season's final game with the team electing to rest Brock Purdy.
The Minnesota Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal prior to the 2024 season. He had a chance to be the starter while JJ McCarthy learned the pro game, but an injury to McCarthy in training camp confirmed his role as QB1.
Nevertheless, was Sam Darnold's net worth in 2024 a surprise?