The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 to claim the Vince Lombardi trophy at Super Bowl LX for their second-ever championship win
The Seattle Seahawks are set to lose at least £2.6million in tax after winning Super Bowl LX. The NFC West side dominated during Sunday night’s game, defeating the New England Patriots 29-13 to snatch their second-ever Vince Lombardi trophy.
The Seahawks shut their rivals out for three quarters of football, before scoring two touchdowns in the final 15 minutes to secure their first Super Bowl ring since 2013. Quarterback Sam Darnold had a rise from the bottom up this season, going error-free in Super Bowl LX to win his debut Lombardi trophy.
Many fans have been interested in how much each player will receive for winning the Super Bowl. It’s understood that a bonus of around £130,000 is paid to each of the 53 members of the Seahawks for their triumph.
But they will be taxed heavily on this extra influx of cash, and it could dampen their spirits financially. Tax consultant Ashley Akin, who has eight years experience in accounting, has revealed just how much money each player will lose.
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Akin said: “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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However, Akin noted that the bonus is counted towards normal income. This means that federal tax is paid on it, which can be up to 37%.
Explaining the tax cut, she said: “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.”
This means that each player will likely lose at least £49,700 each, which totals up to £2.6m for the entire 53-man roster. One man that will be unbothered by said tax is Darnold, who admits the belief placed in him by the team helped him get to the main 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 ignoring the tax chunk out of his income, after admitting how “blessed” he is to be a championship winner. He said: “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!”
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.
