2:37pm: Darnold will not take every rep in practice on Wednesday, Macdonald told reporters (via Brady Henderson of ESPN). The Seahawks’ goal is to ramp up Darnold as the week goes along and determine whether he can play by Friday.
11:25am: After missing most of the Seahawks’ first two games with a glute injury, quarterback Sam Darnold will practice this week, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Darnold has a shot to return against the Commanders on Sunday, Rapoport adds.
“Right now, the plan is for him to be out there in some capacity and we’ll go from there,” head coach Mike Macdonald said (via Tim Booth of the Seattle Times). “How much? We’ll see from here to Wednesday on what that number is but right now that’s the goal.”
Darnold took just five snaps before exiting during the first quarter of the Seahawks’ Week 1 Super Bowl LX rematch with the Patriots. The fear then was that Darnold suffered a potentially serious hip injury, but he dodged that bullet and may only miss one start. The reigning champion Seahawks have gotten by with No. 2 signal-caller Drew Lock, who has helped the team to a 2-0 start.
A backup for the majority of his eight-year career, Lock has thrived in the early going this season. In a 13-10 win over the Pats and a 31-7 rout of the Cardinals, the 29-year-old combined to go 35 of 48 for 422 yards and four touchdowns. Lock ranks top five in the NFL in passer rating (first; 127.3), QBR (fourth; 85.8), yards per attempt (fourth; 8.8) and completion percentage (fifth; 72.9).
Regarding Lock, a Seahawks source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN: “He’s smart, experienced, has been in the system multiple years and has the savvy and talent of a first-round pick.”
Given their confidence in Lock, a 2019 second-rounder, the Seahawks don’t need to rush Darnold back against a winless Washington team that will turn to a backup QB. Marcus Mariota, who won the 2014 Heisman Trophy with Oregon, will head back to the Pacific Northwest to start in place of the injured Jayden Daniels.
If Darnold shows he is healthy enough to return on Sunday, it’s possible Lock has made his last start as a member of the Seahawks. Now in the second season of a two-year, $5MM contract, Lock could rake in a sizable raise and perhaps a chance to compete for a starting job if he leaves in free agency in 2027.