The Indianapolis Colts just gave quarterback Daniel Jones a rather shocking new deal. The QB agreed to sign a two-year contract worth a maximum of $100 million. That's the kind of deal that makes what Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider did last offseason look genius.
Jones has had one season where he was mostly very good. Sam Darnold had one season like that with the Minnesota Vikings, too, before 2025. But instead of Schneider overpaying for Darnold last offseason, especially something to the tune of $50 million a season, the Seahawks got the QB to agree to a three-year contract worth a maximum of $100.5 million.
One reason that the Seattle football franchise has been mostly successful since 2010 is that John Schneider is arguably the best GM in the business. National pundits sometimes get frustrated with Schneider because he doesn't aggressively pursue potentially high-end free agents on Day 1 of free agency, but his method isn't a mad one.
Colts' new deal with Daniel Jones makes Seattle Seahawks' John Schneider look like a genius
Schneider won't overpay for any player, but places the value he sees on a position or player and pays according to how he views the situation. Some might disagree with how much wide receiver Rashid Shaheed was just dealt in free agency, as he will make an average of $17 million a season.
That perceived mistake by some isn't one, and Seahawks fans know it. Without Shaheed's ability to beat defenders on post patterns and, especially, his elite trait of being a difference-maker as a kick and punt returner, the Seahawks likely don't take the top seed in the NFC this past season. If that doesn't happen, the team probably doesn't make the Super Bowl.
If John Schneider thinks Rashid Shaheed is worth $51 million over three seasons, then one can assume that the wide receiver is worth just that. He is invaluable in his ability to help in multiple phases.
Mostly, what the new Daniel Jones deal proves, however, is that unlike the Indianapolis Colts, Schneider is never going to put the Seattle Seahawks where the team is forced to make a more expensive move than it needs to.
Seattle continues to win by drafting well, making smart free agent signings, and fitting all of that into a well-coached culture. That will continue to be the case as long as John Schneider is the general manager of the team. Seahawks fans know it, even if not everyone in the NFL does.