Lock to take reins for Sunday’s game
The Seattle Seahawks will be without Sam Darnold this weekend, and Drew Lock is set to start in Arizona, the team announced. Darnold will not be placed on injured reserve, but the club confirmed he remains unavailable for the matchup.
Seattle coach Mike Macdonald offered a clear endorsement of Lock, calling him “a proven really good player in this league” who has “played really good football” when called upon. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams added the locker-room perspective, saying the team has faith in Lock and calling him “the best second-string quarterback in the league.”
Injury details, short-term outlook
The Seahawks described Darnold’s issue as a “very unique, soft tissue” glute injury; there is no timetable for his return. Some outlets suggested he could return as soon as next week, while others say he is likely to miss the team’s next game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Darnold sustained the injury when he was sacked by Dre'Mont Jones on Seattle’s opening series against New England. The Seahawks still walked out of the season opener with a 13-10 victory.
Why Lock’s early showing matters
Lock answered the call in that opener, completing 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown after replacing Darnold. His late-game connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba proved decisive: Lock hit Smith-Njigba on a fourth-and-one, and the wideout turned it into the Seahawks’ only touchdown.
Smith-Njigba finished the game with 122 yards on eight receptions, underscoring the potency of the Lock–Smith-Njigba pairing. Yardbarker projects that if Lock can maintain that connection, Seattle will have a strong chance to move to 2-0.
The immediate priority for Seattle is stability while Darnold recovers. Lock’s efficient line in relief and the evident chemistry with Smith-Njigba give the Seahawks a workable short-term path, but the team has not provided a return date and will monitor the soft-tissue issue week to week.
