Seattle Seahawks stars lose £2.6m in prize cash instantly after Super Bowl LX win
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX and claim the second-ever Vince Lombardi title in franchise history
The Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl LX(Image: PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP via Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks are poised to forfeit at least £2.6million in tax following their Super Bowl LX win.
The NFC West outfit dominated throughout Sunday night’s clash, crushing the New England Patriots 29-13 to claim their second-ever Vince Lombardi title. The Seahawks kept their opponents scoreless for three quarters of the game, before notching two touchdowns in the closing 15 minutes to secure their first Super Bowl triumph since 2013.
Quarterback Sam Darnold enjoyed a remarkable journey from rock bottom this season, delivering a flawless performance in Super Bowl LX to capture his maiden Lombardi trophy. Numerous supporters have been curious about the financial rewards each player will pocket for clinching the Super Bowl.
It’s believed that a windfall of approximately £130,000 is distributed to each of the 53 Seahawks squad members following their victory. However, they’ll face substantial taxation on this additional cash injection, which could dampen their financial celebrations.
Tax expert Ashley Akin, who boasts eight years of accounting expertise, has explained precisely how much money each player stands to lose. Akin explained: “Players on the winning team get a special bonus for winning the Super Bowl.
“That bonus in 2026 is £130,000 for each player. That is extra money on top of their regular paycheck. They also get a ring for winning the Super Bowl, which can be worth between £21,900 and £36,500, and that is usually paid by the team.
“When it comes to all bonuses, some players can earn more than £255,000 just from prizes during the playoffs.”
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Nevertheless, Akin pointed out that the bonus is included as regular income, meaning federal tax must be paid on it, which can reach as high as 37 per cent.
Breaking down the tax implications, she explained: “For players with high income, this can be up to 37%. Besides that, state taxes are also paid. Since Super Bowl 2026 is played in California, players can also pay tax to that state, which is very high for high incomes.
“Some states also have a special tax for athletes who play games in their territory. When all of this is added together, from a bonus of £130,000 a player often keeps around £65,700 to £80,300.
“The exact payment amount that players must pay depends on their home address and their tax circumstances and their eligible deduction choices.”
Watch Super Bowl 60 with US broadcast for 99p
Super Bowl 60 will see New England Patriots face Seattle Seahawks on February 8 and fans can watch live for 99p with DAZN’s NFL Game Pass.
This includes the authentic US broadcast and half-time show, plus access to all NFL content until July 31.
This indicates that each player will probably forfeit at least £49,700 individually, amounting to £2.6m across the complete 53-man squad. One individual who won’t be troubled by such taxes is Darnold, who acknowledges that the faith shown in him by the team helped propel him to this grand stage.
He said: “My teammates and my coaches, they believed in me. Since the first training camp, every single day we came to work. Shoutout to our offensive line for everything they did in the game. But I’ve also got to shout out our defence.
“We did it. It’s been such a special journey with these guys. So much hard work has been out into this and we did it.”
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is also likely to be overlooking the tax deduction from his income, after expressing how “blessed” he feels to be a championship winner. He added: “First and foremost I want to thank God for this. It’s a blessing to be here. I want to thank my brothers, this doesn’t happen without them.
“We went through a lot of adversity this season but we came together, stuck together and this is what we got. Shout out to the 12s!”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
