Seahawks Hand Key Sam Darnold Protector $46 Million Contact Extension
The Seattle Seahawks underwent quite a bit of change this offseason. Guys like Geno Smith and DK Metcalf are gone, while Sam Darnold has been brought in to be the team’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. In order for him to succeed, though, he’s going to need a strong team around him.
Darnold has tons of weapons around him, and a solid offensive line that will be tasked with keeping him upright in the pocket. Ahead of their season-opener in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, the front office handed out a big contract extension for one of Darnold’s top offensive linemen, Abraham Lucas.
Abraham Lucas Earns New Contract from Seahawks
The Seahawks selected Lucas in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he immediately became their starting right tackle. Lucas flashed as a rookie, starting all 16 of the games he played in, and it seemed like Seattle had found a key piece of their offensive line who would be a key contributor for years to come.
The problem since then is that Lucas has struggled to stay on the field over the past two years. During that stretch, Lucas has played in just 13 total games, which obviously is not ideal for the Seahawks, as they have essentially had a revolving door at the right tackle position. That has made it difficult for them to establish any sort of continuity on offense, and that’s something they will want to change in 2025.
Lucas was heading into a contract year in 2025, but the good news is that he’s fully healthy and set to start at his right tackle spot in Week 1. Rather than potentially waiting until next offseason and watching Lucas’ price tag increase, Seattle got ahead of the curve and handed him a three-year, $46 million contract extension on Thursday.
“The Seahawks and OT Abe Lucas have agreed to terms on a three-year, $46 million extension with the chance to earn more via incentives, sources say,” Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported. The 2022 third-rounder, who was set to be a free agent, stays with Seattle in a deal done by Chase Callahan of Excel Football.”
Seahawks Hoping Abraham Lucas Can Stay Healthy After Contract Extension
GettyAbraham Lucas of the Seattle Seahawks.
By handing Lucas this extension, the Seahawks are banking on the talented tackle staying healthy and eventually making this deal look like a steal. Of course, considering how much time Lucas has missed over the past few years, that is a bit of a gamble, but at this price, that’s a gamble that the team is willing to take.
With Lucas locked in at right tackle, Darnold figures to have one of the top players at the position protecting him in 2025 and beyond now. Time will tell whether or not this ends up being a good piece of business for the Seahawks, but if Lucas can play like he did as a rookie in 2022, this will be a huge win for them. Now, the team will turn its attention towards its opener against the 49ers, with kickoff scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Giants OC Mike Kafka will call the team’s offensive plays
The Giants are going back to using offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as their offensive play caller.
Kafka called the team’s plays during the preseason and head coach Brian Daboll said on Thursday that will continue to be the case in the regular season. Kafka called plays from the sideline this summer and he will continue to work from that spot rather than up in the booth.
Daboll called the team’s plays in 2024 after giving Kafka that responsibility during the 2023 season. Neither coach’s calls resulted in the kind of offensive success needed to win games in the NFL, but the hope is that the changes they’ve made to personnel this year will make those choices look better this time around.
If that’s the case, Kafka could see more interest on the head coaching market. He has interviewed for openings in the past and a winning season would be a good feather in his cap for the next round of conversations.
