Bruce Irvin may have said what a chunk of Seahawks fans were already thinking after the loss to the Denver Broncos: “Drew Lock please.”
That was the former Seattle linebacker’s blunt message on social media after Week 6, a simple post that cut straight to the frustration around Sam Darnold’s shaky start. But however loud that sentiment might be, the Seahawks are not expected to make that kind of move, and there’s a strong case they shouldn’t.
Lock has already flashed this season, turning in solid play in the first two games. Still, his track record is what it is: a backup who has spent years in that role because consistency has never been his calling card, and poor decisions have shown up too often. Darnold, on the other hand, gave Seattle proof last season that he can steer the team to a title, and that matters to head coach Mike Macdonald.
There’s also the bigger picture. Seattle doesn’t usually jump at the first sign of trouble, and pulling the quarterback who won the Super Bowl last season after four games in a new system under offensive coordinator Brian Fleury would send a jarring message. Especially with the Broncos bringing heavy pressure in Week 6, the context around Darnold’s uneven play matters.
Of course, there’s another side to that argument. Some would say the Seahawks can’t afford to sit on a season and waste a championship window that still looks open.
But switching to Lock doesn’t guarantee a fix. If he doesn’t hold up for multiple games and Darnold has to come back in, Seattle would only be creating a mess.
The more realistic path is the one that points beyond this season. Darnold is under contract through 2027, and if Seattle wants to keep the pressure on, the simplest answer may be to let things play out without an extension before next year. That would leave him with another prove-it year.
Lock, meanwhile, could be gone in free agency next offseason. And even then, he hasn’t really looked like a long-term starter at any point in his NFL career. Betting on him to suddenly become that guy because of two good games in September would be a risky leap.
It’s easy, too, to lose sight of how uneven Seattle’s offense has already been. The Seahawks managed only 13 points in Week 1 against the New England Patriots, and by halftime of Week 2 against the awful Arizona Cardinals, the game was tied 7-7.
So even if Irvin’s post hit a nerve, the most likely outcome is unchanged: Seattle stays with Darnold. The real hope is that he starts looking more like the version the Seahawks leaned on much of last season, when he won the Super Bowl, beginning in Week 7.
In Other News...
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Just Became Seattle's Biggest Thursday Night X-Factor
Jaxon Smith-Njigba popped up on the Seahawks injury report this week with an ankle issue, but the important part for Seattle is that he is not carrying an injury designation into the matchup with the Broncos. For a passing game that has leaned on him heavily this season, that is a welcome development heading into a short-week stage that often turns on who can simply be available and effective.
The timing only sharpens his importance. Denver will be missing key defensive players Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, which gives Seattle a chance to press an advantage through the air if Smith-Njigba looks like his usual self. He has been one of the offenses most reliable producers through five games, and on Thursday night his role could be even bigger if the Seahawks decide to attack early and often. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Head To Denver With A Few Trusted Answers And New Doubts
The Seahawks head to Denver with a clearer sense of who they can lean on and a few more questions than they probably wanted at this stage of the season. Byron Murphy II has been one of the steadier young pieces up front, Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to look like a reliable target in the passing game, and Jason Myers has given Seattle confidence in the kicking game. Those are the kinds of trusted answers that help keep a team afloat when the rest of the picture is still shifting.
What the Broncos matchup will really test is whether Seattle can turn those individual bright spots into something more stable on a week-to-week basis. The offense and defense both have areas that still need sorting out, and the margin for error gets smaller on the road, especially against a Denver team that will make the Seahawks prove those strengths are more than isolated flashes. [Read more 🡒]
Overlooked Seahawks Could Decide More Than Fans Expect In Denver
The Seahawks head to Denver on Thursday night with a 3-2 record and the usual attention on the bigger names, but this matchup may hinge on a few players who are easy to overlook. Robert Henry Jr. is the newest wrinkle, a recent roster addition who gives Seattle another layer of depth as it sorts out the back end of the lineup, while AJ Barner enters a game that could put more pressure on the middle of the Broncos defense than usual.
Julian Love also looms as the kind of defensive back who can change the feel of a game quickly, especially against a Denver offense that has not looked steady. Seattle does not need every contribution to come from the stars to get through a short week on the road, and this is exactly the kind of spot where role players can end up deciding far more than fans expect. [Read more 🡒]