The Seahawks are 2-0, and that alone tells you plenty about where this team stands entering Week 3. Even with Sam Darnold available for only one drive, Seattle opened with a tight win over the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch, then handled the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.
Next up is Washington, and the Commanders are dealing with their own quarterback issue after Jayden Daniels went down with a dislocated elbow in a Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Seattle has reason to feel good after Drew Lock’s performance, but there are still a few players who need to show more when the Seahawks line up against Washington.
Rashid Shaheed is at the top of that list. Seattle handed him a three-year, $51 million extension this offseason, a clear sign the team sees him as more than a return specialist.
Through two games, though, he has not delivered much as a receiver. Shaheed has four catches for 39 yards and has added four yards on one rushing attempt.
He can do more, and maybe Darnold’s absence has played a part, but the pressure is on him heading into Week 3.
Dante Fowler Jr. is in a similar spot, just on the defensive side. One of the Seahawks’ few offseason additions, he looked like a natural fit in Mike Macdonald’s defense.
So far, though, he has not gotten rolling. Fowler has played 27 defensive snaps and still has not recorded a tackle.
He does have two pressures, but the longer he goes without making a bigger mark, the more pressure he’ll carry.
Then there’s rookie first-round pick Jadarian Price, who was expected to be a centerpiece of the Seattle offense and has the tools to become a difference-maker. He has not been a disappointment, but he also has not had that breakout game yet. In two outings, Price has 104 rushing yards on 23 carries, good for 4.5 yards per attempt, and he is still chasing his first NFL touchdown.
His status for Week 3 is uncertain because of a shoulder injury, and this is already the second injury issue he has dealt with after leg soreness kept him out of the preseason. There is still a long way to go, but until Price truly takes off, the weight that comes with being a first-round pick will keep building.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Face A Sam Darnold Decision They Wanted Soon
The Seahawks have spent the first two weeks of the season building momentum without ever really getting their quarterback situation settled. They opened with a close win over the Patriots, then backed it up with a more convincing result against the Cardinals, and in the process Drew Lock has done enough in Sam Darnolds place to keep Seattle moving while the starter works back from the glute injury that kept him out of the opener.
Now Darnold is expected to return to practice this week, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, which means the conversation the Seahawks hoped to delay is suddenly here. Lock has handled the job well enough to keep the team unbeaten, but Seattle remains committed to Darnold as its starter, so the next step is less about whether the team likes what it has seen and more about how quickly it wants to hand the offense back to the quarterback it planned to build around. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Bigger QB Decision Than Fans Expected
Sam Darnolds availability has quickly become the Seahawks most interesting storyline heading into Week 3, even with Mike Macdonald making it clear the job belongs to the starter if hes healthy enough to go. Darnold has been dealing with a glute injury suffered in Week 1, and Seattle has had to weigh the value of getting him back on the field against the reality that Drew Lock has looked steady in relief.
Macdonald said Darnold is expected to practice in some capacity before the team makes its final call, which keeps the situation in motion for now. For a Seahawks offense trying to settle in early in the season, the question is no longer just whether Darnold can suit up, but whether Seattle has a reason to keep riding the hand the backup has given it if the starter is close but not quite ready. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face A Drew Lock Decision They May Not Afford
Sam Darnolds injury absence has already reminded the Seahawks how much value there is in a dependable No. 2 quarterback, and Drew Lock has filled that role well enough to keep Seattle afloat. In limited starts, he helped the team go 2-0, giving the staff a level of comfort that is hard to find once a season starts to turn on depth and availability.
Now comes the part Seattle would rather avoid: interest from the outside. With the Giants suddenly in need after Jaxson Darts season-ending injury, Lock is a name that could come up, but the Seahawks may be wiser to treat him as more than a movable asset. A reliable backup is one of those pieces teams only miss once they no longer have it, and Seattles situation makes that lesson feel especially current. [Read more 🡒]