Seahawks Name Drew Lock Starter for Sunday Game

Seattle coach Mike Macdonald announced Wednesday that quarterback Sam Darnold will not start Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field. Darnold is dealing with a quadriceps injury sustained during the Seahawks’ 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

Macdonald said Darnold played every snap in Monday’s defeat. The quarterback suffered a cracked rib on the second play of the game. He then injured his quad near the end of the contest. The coach described Darnold’s status as week to week. Darnold will not be placed on injured reserve.

Backup quarterback Drew Lock is expected to take the field in Darnold’s place. Lock is currently working through an injury to his throwing elbow. Macdonald said Lock suffered that injury during a rainy practice session a few weeks ago. The quarterback has not thrown much in recent practice sessions. He sat out pregame warmups and was inactive for Weeks 7 and 8. Third-stringer Jalen Milroe served as the backup during those two games.

Macdonald stated that Lock is able to throw the ball. The coach is managing Lock’s workload this week to prevent overuse. Lock and Milroe will split reps with the starting offense. The Seahawks added Adrian Martinez to the practice squad. Martinez previously played for the 49ers and the Jets. Macdonald said the team must decide who will play, but he wants to give Milroe a fair amount of practice time. The plan remains for Lock to start if he can handle the physical demands.

Darnold took a hard hit on the second play of Monday’s game. Bears defensive back Kyler Gordon drove him to the ground. That was one of six quarterback knockdowns by Chicago’s defense. A roughing-the-passer penalty nullified a seventh hit. Darnold also took several hits while scrambling. He received a heavy shot from linebacker Devin Bush while sliding on the third play. Seahawks players appealed for a penalty, but no flag was thrown.

Macdonald said he did not realize Darnold was playing through the rib injury until after the game. The loss to Chicago was Seattle’s worst since December 2024. The coach praised Darnold for competing hard despite the pain. Macdonald said Darnold should be back sooner rather than later. The quad injury is the primary reason he is sitting out Sunday.

Darnold has completed 60.2 percent of his passes this season. He has thrown for 1,478 yards, 10 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in seven games. This is the second time this season Darnold has missed time due to injury. He hurt his glute in the season opener against the New England Patriots and missed most of two games. Macdonald said Darnold approaches these injuries with a matter-of-fact attitude.

Lock started in Week 2 against the Cardinals last season. He helped the Seahawks win both games before Darnold returned in Week 3. Lock threw for 422 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions during that stretch. Macdonald expects the offensive group to play with the same confidence in Lock as they did in the past. The Seahawks currently hold a 4-4 record and sit eighth in the NFC.

The team will visit the Las Vegas Raiders on November 15 before taking a bye in Week 11. Macdonald said Darnold could play against Las Vegas depending on his rehab progress. Left tackle Charles Cross, Rashid Shaheed, defensive tackle Leonard Williams, and Uchenna Nwosu all have a chance to return against the Cardinals. Williams left Monday’s game in the third quarter with a stinger. Cross, Shaheed, and Nwosu did not play against Chicago due to ankle, knee, and toe issues, respectively.