The Seahawks’ 2026 season opener took an abrupt turn on their first possession, and Drew Lock was the man suddenly asked to steady the offense.
Sam Darnold was sacked on third down by former Seahawks defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, came up limping with a hip injury and eventually went from the medical tent to the locker room. Seattle later announced Darnold was questionable to return, leaving Lock to take over against Mike Vrabel’s Patriots defense. Lock’s first snap went smoothly enough: he completed his opening pass for eight yards.
For Seattle, this meant turning to a quarterback who knows the organization well. Lock is 29 and has now played for the Denver Broncos, Seahawks and New York Giants. This is his second stint in Seattle, and over the course of his NFL career he has thrown for 6,369 yards, 34 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.
Lock’s path to this moment has been a long one, and it started with plenty of hype. Denver took him No. 42 overall in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft after his standout run at Missouri.
In 2017, he led the nation with 44 touchdown passes, setting SEC and Missouri records along the way. He finished college with 99 passing touchdowns and nine rushing scores.
The Broncos got an early taste of why they were intrigued. As a rookie, Lock went 4-1 in five starts and put up 1,020 passing yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
His biggest chance came in 2020, when he started 13 games and threw for 2,933 yards and 16 touchdowns. But he also had 15 interceptions, and Denver never got the long-term answer it hoped for.
That eventually led to Lock being included in the blockbuster 2022 trade that sent Russell Wilson from Seattle to Denver. Lock battled Geno Smith for the starting job, but he began that season as Seattle’s backup.
He made two starts for the Seahawks in 2023, and his most memorable moment came against the Philadelphia Eagles. In that game, he led a 92-yard winning drive and hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a 29-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left.
After one season with the Giants, Lock was back in Seattle. He signed a one-year deal with New York in 2024 and made five starts, with his best showing coming in Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts. In Seattle’s 45-33 win, Lock threw four touchdown passes, added a rushing score and posted a career-best 155.3 passer rating.
The Seahawks brought him back in April 2025 on a two-year, $5 million contract to back up Darnold. During the regular season, Lock attempted only three passes, but he still collected his first Super Bowl ring when Seattle beat the Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.
Seven months later, he was back on the field against that same Patriots defense, this time because Darnold could not continue. It is a very different job to walk in cold and run the offense than to spend the week preparing as the starter, and New England’s pass rush wasted no time making that clear on the opening drive.
In Other News...
DreMont Jones Just Turned A Painful Patriots Hit Into Drama
DreMont Jones made his presence felt early in the Patriots season opener, flattening Sam Darnold on a sack that led to a hip injury and quickly became one of the nights most talked-about moments. Even in a loss, the play gave New England at least one hard-hitting highlight to point back to, and Jones leaned into it by posting video of the hit on social media afterward.
Mike Macdonald later offered some relief by confirming there is no fracture, but the bigger question around Darnold is still the same: how long will this keep him out? For the Patriots, the injury added another layer to a game they already wanted to put behind them, while Jones' post kept the moment alive long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Added Veteran Help Up Front And Another Move Is Coming
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The move is not a simple one-for-one addition, either. Because the signing pushes the roster above the 53-man limit, another transaction is coming soon, leaving one current Patriot on the bubble as the team makes room for Jones. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Make Urgent D-Line Move After Week 1 Warning
After a Week 1 reminder that the interior can get tested fast, the Patriots moved quickly to shore up their defensive front by agreeing to a one-year deal with defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. Jones brings veteran size and experience, and he arrives with familiar ties to head coach Mike Vrabel from their past together, a detail that should help him settle in without much delay.
His first chance to suit up comes against the Steelers, where New England is looking for more help and more stability in the middle of the line. The addition does mean a corresponding roster move is coming, so the Patriots are not only adding depth, but also making a calculated choice about who stays put to make room for it. [Read more 🡒]