The Seahawks and Cardinals are meeting again in Week 9, and the rematch comes with a few familiar names front and center.
Seattle already handled Arizona once this season, rolling to a 31-7 win in Glendale back in Week 2. That was the Seahawks’ 10th straight victory in this NFC West series dating to the clubs’ second meeting in 2021. Drew Lock started that game with Sam Darnold banged up, threw for 235 yards, and found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for all three of his touchdown passes.
Darnold is dealing with health issues again, so Mike Macdonald is expected to lean on his backup once more. The Seahawks come into this one after a lopsided Monday night home loss to the Bears, while Arizona arrives off a 33-30 overtime win over the Cowboys in Arlington with Gardner Minshew at quarterback.
One of the biggest individual battles will be in the middle of the field with Trey McBride. The Cardinals tight end leads the NFL with 66 catches for 544 yards and five touchdowns, and he’s been one of the league’s most productive pass catchers all season. He has also seen plenty of Seattle over the years: this will be his 10th game against the Seahawks, and Arizona has lost all nine of the previous meetings.
McBride has been targeted 75 times against Seattle, the most he’s seen against any team. He’s turned that into 49 receptions for 486 yards and three touchdowns.
In the first meeting this season, he was targeted 10 times, caught eight passes for 41 yards and scored Arizona’s only touchdown. This time, he’ll likely spend plenty of time matched up with Julian Love, who has two interceptions this season and leads the Seahawks with six passes defensed.
On the other side, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a nightmare for Arizona. In seven games against the Cardinals, he has never been on the losing side.
He’s been targeted 46 times in those matchups, catching 36 passes for 536 yards and seven touchdowns. In Seattle’s Week 2 win, he was unstoppable, piling up nine catches for 155 yards and three scores.
That puts pressure on Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis and his group to do something only one team has managed this season: keep Smith-Njigba under 100 receiving yards. The Chargers did it in Week 4, limiting him to five catches for 76 yards.
There’s also a different kind of test in the trenches and on the ground. Arizona’s win over Dallas featured a huge day from Tyler Allgeier, who ran for 147 yards and a touchdown and added five catches for 44 yards and another score. Gardner Minshew stepped in for Jacoby Brissett and threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns in the comeback.
The Cardinals’ backfield situation has shifted, too, with 2026 first-round pick Jeremiyah Love now on injured reserve and Brissett with the Baltimore Ravens’ organization. Allgeier, though, has already shown he can carry a load; over four seasons with the Falcons, he ran for 2,876 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Seattle’s answer in run defense may come from Drake Thomas, who has graded out higher than Ernest Jones IV this season in that area, according to Pro Football Focus. Thomas has a 74.6 run-defense grade, while Jones sits at 57.0. That sets up another matchup worth watching when these two teams line up again.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Face Another O-Line Problem Before Cardinals Showdown
The Seahawks offensive line got a little more complicated Thursday, when Quenton Nelson showed up on the injury report with a knee issue and did not practice ahead of Sundays Week 9 meeting with the Cardinals. Seattle was already juggling a long list of absences, with nine players sitting out, including six starters such as quarterback Sam Darnold and left tackle Charles Cross, leaving the front line with more uncertainty than it wanted heading into a division game.
If Nelson cant go, the ripple effect could be significant for Seattles interior alignment. Anthony Bradford could slide back into his usual spot at right guard, which would open the door for rookie Grey Zabel to move back to left guard and restore a setup the Seahawks may prefer if the lineup cooperates. For a team already dealing with enough moving parts, the next practice report will matter a lot. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Drew Lock Problem They Cant Ignore
Sam Darnolds quad injury has opened the door for Drew Lock to get another look in Seattle, and the timing is awkward in more ways than one. Lock is expected to be the option in Week 9, which gives the Seahawks a chance to see what he can do in a meaningful stretch, but it also comes with the reminder that his own elbow issue could complicate how long that chance lasts.
Even if Lock gives Seattle a lift in the short term, the bigger picture around the quarterback room is not suddenly changing. Darnold is under contract through 2027, while Lock is heading toward free agency next season and could be looking for a fresh opportunity elsewhere, which leaves the Seahawks with a familiar kind of uncertainty even as they navigate the immediate one. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Could Be Headed For Another Deadline Move After Offensive Issues
The Seahawks already made one notable swing before the NFL trade deadline, landing guard Quenton Nelson from the Colts, but the move may not be the last one they make to try to steady an offense that has shown some cracks. After a recent loss, Seattle is looking at other ways to add help, and the tight end spot has emerged as a possible area to address if the front office decides the group needs another boost.
Among the names being discussed are Detroits Sam LaPorta, Philadelphias Dallas Goedert, and tight ends from the Colts and Chargers, giving Seattle a range of options if it chooses to keep shopping. The question now is whether the Seahawks are content with one major addition or whether the deadline still has another move in store as they try to sharpen the offense for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]