The Seahawks are heading into Week 9 with another quarterback change, and this time it’s Sam Darnold who’s out.
Mike Macdonald announced Wednesday that Darnold will miss the matchup against the Arizona Cardinals because of a quad injury, according to The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero. That sends Drew Lock back into the starting role for Seattle.
“Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is out this week with a quad injury, per Mike Macdonald,” Pelissero. “Drew Lock starts against the Cardinals.”
It’s a tough turn for Seattle after Monday night’s loss to the Chicago Bears, especially with the team already dealing with a season that has seen Darnold miss time before. He was sidelined earlier in the year after an injury in the season opener, and now he’s set to sit again.
Darnold has thrown for 1,478 yards and 10 touchdowns with nine interceptions in seven games this season. The numbers haven’t been eye-popping, but he had done enough to keep the offense moving and get the ball to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Now the Seahawks may have to wait even longer to get him back. With Week 11 bye approaching, Lock could wind up making two more starts if Darnold’s recovery stretches beyond this week.
For now, the job belongs to Lock, and he’ll get the Cardinals again. His last start for Seattle also came against Arizona, and it went well: he completed 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout win.
He also played well in relief against the New England Patriots, going 16 of 22 for 187 yards and a touchdown.
Seattle sits at 4-4 and has dropped three of its last four, so the timing of this injury only adds to the pressure. The Cardinals come in after a big win over the Dallas Cowboys, and Gardner Minshew’s move into the lineup has gone well for them.
For the Seahawks, though, Week 9 means another shot with Lock running the offense while Darnold recovers from the quad injury he suffered late against the Bears.
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McBride has already pushed past previous team standards and given Arizona something it had never really had before at tight end: sustained, top-tier volume year after year. The bigger significance is not just the record book entry, but how far he has carried the position for this franchise, with his latest run leaving the Cardinals with a new history to measure against and one more milestone still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]