The Seahawks are rolling into Saturday night’s divisional showdown against the 49ers with Sam Darnold active under center - but there’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over how effective he’ll be. Darnold’s been nursing an oblique injury, and while he’s officially cleared to suit up, the real question is whether that injury will let him operate at full strength for four quarters - or however long Seattle needs him.
Here’s what we know: Darnold hasn’t thrown since tweaking the oblique during warmups ahead of Thursday’s practice. That’s not ideal, especially heading into a high-stakes playoff matchup against one of the league’s most physical defenses. The Seahawks are keeping their cards close, but it’s clear they’ll be monitoring Darnold closely from the first snap.
Drew Lock is ready in the bullpen as the backup, and rookie Jalen Milroe will be inactive but available as the emergency third quarterback - a role teams hope they never have to use, but one that becomes crucial when a starter is playing through something less than 100%.
Seattle’s inactive list also includes linebacker Jared Ivey, offensive linemen Josh Jones (knee), Bryce Cabeldue and Mason Richman, and defensive end Rylie Mills. That’s some depth getting trimmed, particularly in the trenches, where every body counts against a team like San Francisco.
Speaking of the 49ers, they’re getting a boost on offense with wide receiver Ricky Pearsall returning to the lineup. Pearsall missed the last two games after aggravating a knee injury in Week 17 against the Bears, but he’s good to go now - and that gives Brock Purdy another weapon to work with in an already loaded offense.
San Francisco’s inactives include defensive linemen Robert Beal, Kevin Givens, and Sebastian Valdez, safety Ji’Ayir Brown (hamstring), running back Isaac Guerendo, offensive lineman Brandon Parker, and wide receiver Jordan Watkins.
Bottom line: Both teams are dealing with injuries, but all eyes will be on Darnold. If he can gut it out and play clean football, Seattle has a shot to make this one interesting. If not, the pressure could shift quickly to Lock - and that’s a tough ask in Santa Clara in January.