Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider highlighted a recent decision by Washington state lawmakers that he believes could pose problems as the reigning Super Bowl champions look to add players to sustain long-term success.

Washington’s long-standing status as a largely tax-free state is set to change in 2028 after lawmakers approved a “millionaire tax” that would levy a 9.9% rate on high earners. 

The tax will apply to individuals earning more than $1 million annually. Gov. Bob Ferguson has indicated he will sign the bill. It is unclear whether the legislation will face legal challenges. Schneider projected the new tax deduction could hinder the Seahawks’ ability to recruit and ultimately sign free agents.

Schneider suggested that part of the team’s pitch to free agents over the years has highlighted Washington’s tax exemptions. 

“There were a bunch of agents texting me the other day like, ‘Hey, can’t use that anymore, buddy,’” Schneider said this week on his Seattle Sports 710-AM radio show.

SEAHAWKS GM JOHN SCHNEIDER GOES VIRAL AFTER AWKWARD KENNETH WALKER III CONTRACT TALK AT SUPER BOWL LX PARADE

“I think it is for all the pro teams here in town. It’s always been a huge attraction, especially competing with the California teams. It’s been a big deal for us. So, it’s going to sting, from a recruiting standpoint and what that looks like. I’m sure Mike Reinfeldt and Mickey Loomis and all the cap guys that have been here before, too, are looking at this like, ‘Dang.’”

As of 2026, the Seahawks are one of eight NFL clubs based in a state that does not impose income tax on personal wages.

Two of those teams, the Texans and Cowboys, are based in Texas, while three of those teams play home games in Florida: the Jaguars, Buccaneers and Dolphins. The Raiders relocated from California to the neighboring tax-free Nevada in 2020, while the Titans are set to open a multibillion-dollar domed stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2027.

“It’s going to be a problem, and hopefully it doesn’t happen,” an unnamed NFL agent told ESPN when asked about thoughts on the potential impact the new taxes could have on the Seahawks.

While it remains unclear whether the new taxes will influence NFL players’ decisions about signing with the Seahawks, an MLB player recently cited California’s higher tax rates in his decision to turn down a deal with the San Diego Padres.

Merrill Kelly, who entered the free agent market after pitching in 10 games with the Texas Rangers in 2025, last month agreed to a deal to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Kelly agreed to a two-year contract worth an estimated $40 million with the Diamondbacks, according to ESPN. Although the Padres offered a comparable deal at three years instead of two, California’s 13% tax rate on income above $1 million proved a key difference.

“I don’t think it’s any secret on how much money you get taken out of your pocket when you go to California,” the right-hander told “Foul Territory.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The Lakers entered a critical six-game stretch Saturday that could very well determine their playoff position in the competitive Western Conference postseason race.

Behind the heroics of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers defeated Denver in a 127-125 overtime thriller at Crypto.com Arena that secured a playoff seeding tiebreaker over the Nuggets.

Doncic made an 18-foot jumper with less than a second left in overtime to secure the win. While he’ll get a lot of the credit for the outcome, the play of Austin Reaves, Deande Ayton and Marcus Smart in overtime also played a critical role.

Ayton scored four of his nine points in the overtime and Smart drilled an important three-pointer late as the Lakers (42-25) won their fifth straight game and moved back into third place in the West with 15 games remaining.

It was dueling triple-doubles between two stars, with Doncic putting up 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds and Nikola Jokic finishing with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists.

Reaves, who finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, six assists, forced overtime when he intentionally missed a free throw, got the rebound and scored on a floater to tie the score 118-118 with 1.9 seconds remaining. He made his first free throw with 5.2 seconds remaining.

In the overtime, Smart, who finished with 21 points, made a three-pointer off an assist from Doncic for a 125-123 lead, but Jokic responded by scoring over Ayton with 15.1 seconds left to tie the score.

With the Nuggets (41-27) on the verge of winning the season series, Doncic then scored with half a second left to give the Lakers their eighth win in nine games.

LeBron James finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists and Ayton grabbed nine rebounds in addition to his nine points.

President Donald Trump confirmed in a sit-down interview with boxer Jake Paul this week that he will attend the historic UFC event in Washington, D.C., scheduled for the president’s 80th birthday as part of the America 250 celebration.

Trump, a longtime supporter of the UFC, spoke about the highly anticipated event scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14 that will feature two championship bouts. 

“I will,” Trump responded when asked by Paul if he will be at the event, which has been dubbed UFC Freedom 250. “It’s going to be amazing at the White House. And Dana [White] is a great guy. He’s a good fan of yours, you know. Dana is a good guy. The best. I mean, there’s nobody like him.”

Trump also spoke about the card, which was released days earlier and includes Ilia Topuria going up against Justin Gaethje for the UFC World Lightweight Championship and Alex Pereira taking on Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship.

“[White] had the idea of staging it right at the front door of the White House. We’ll be right in the front door of the White House. And he’s got a tremendous card. I don’t even know if it’s filled out, but I just saw it and it looks like it’s going to be all top guys. They all want to fight at the White House. So it’s going to be in honor of the 250th year. It’ll be great.” 

The card also includes Sean O’Malley taking on Aiemann Zahabi, Michael Chandler squaring off against Mauricio Ruffy, Kyle Daukaus battling against Bo Nickal and Steve Garcia going up against Diego Lopes.

DANA WHITE DISMISSES NOTION WHITE HOUSE UFC EVENT WILL BE ‘TOO POLITICAL’: ‘IT’S A HISTORY-MAKING EVENT’

White said Thursday that the UFC is planning to offer 85,000 free tickets for the outdoor viewing area at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. Tickets for the South Lawn will not be sold, but instead will be comped to members of the military, ESPN reported.

Despite the location and presence of Trump, White has dismissed the notion that the event will be “too political.”

“I mean, I don’t know how it would be too political other than it’s at the White House,” he said in January during an interview with Bloomberg. “Listen, if you look back throughout history, I think [former President] George Bush was a big baseball fan, [former President Barack] Obama was an NBA fan and Trump is a UFC fan. I don’t think that any of those guys being fans made any sport too political.” 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The UFC event is just one of the many events Trump has planned for the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Last month, it was announced that an IndyCar race will take place in August and will be free for fans to come and watch.

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.