Sam Darnold Questionable for Divisional Round, But Seahawks Aren’t Making Excuses
As the Seattle Seahawks prepare for their highly anticipated Divisional Round clash with the San Francisco 49ers, the team is managing a late-week injury concern for quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold, who’s been steady under center during Seattle’s impressive 14-3 campaign, is officially listed as questionable due to an oblique issue that surfaced during practice.
The injury, which required treatment, has limited Darnold’s recent on-field activity. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Darnold hasn’t thrown a pass since Thursday, when he initially tweaked the oblique. In his absence, backup quarterback Drew Lock has taken reps, though it’s important to note that Thursday’s session still featured Darnold participating with the injury, and Friday’s practice was just a walk-through.
What does this mean for Seattle? Well, not as much as some might suggest.
While the quarterback’s status is certainly worth monitoring, this doesn’t appear to be a situation where the Seahawks are laying the groundwork for excuses. This is a team that has built its identity on resilience and execution, and there’s been no indication from inside the building that they’re approaching this game with anything less than full confidence in their preparation-regardless of who takes the snaps.
Still, that hasn’t stopped some outside voices from chiming in.
On ESPN’s First Take, former NFL safety Ryan Clark offered a take that raised some eyebrows. Clark suggested that the injury update “sounds like the setup for an excuse,” implying that the Seahawks might be preemptively softening the blow in case Darnold underperforms.
“It sounds like the things that you say before a game when you don't play well,” Clark said. “When the throws aren't where they're supposed to be. Everybody can point back and say, ‘but you have to remember he didn't get those first-team reps and his oblique was tight on Thursday.’”
That’s a bold claim, and frankly, it doesn’t line up with what we’ve seen from this Seahawks team all season. This is a group that’s earned the NFC’s top seed by playing disciplined, physical, and focused football. They’ve won games with defense, with timely offense, and with a next-man-up mentality that’s been a hallmark of Mike Macdonald’s first season as head coach.
If anything, Darnold’s questionable tag is a reflection of the NFL’s updated injury designation system. Since the league did away with the “probable” label back in 2016, teams are often left to choose between “questionable” and “doubtful”-even when a player is trending positively. Based on the tone from both Darnold and Macdonald since the injury surfaced, it’s reasonable to believe that if “probable” were still an option, that’s where Darnold would land.
As for Drew Lock, he’s been taking more reps, but that’s standard protocol when a starting quarterback is managing an injury. And with Friday being a walk-through, it’s not as if Lock has suddenly taken over the offense in full.
There’s no question that the Seahawks are keeping a close eye on Darnold’s status, and they’ll make a game-time decision based on how he responds to treatment and warmups. But make no mistake-this team isn’t in the business of preemptive excuses. They’re in the business of winning, and they’ve done plenty of that this season.
The noise around this situation may continue to grow, but inside the Seahawks’ locker room, the focus remains the same: prepare, execute, and advance. Whether it’s Darnold or Lock under center, Seattle will be ready.