Seahawks Face Two Key Week 2 Injury Questions Against Arizona

Seattle Seahawks' injury list raises crucial questions for Week 2's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Seahawks will head into Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals without Sam Darnold, just as expected after the quarterback left the opener with a glute injury on the first drive against the New England Patriots. Drew Lock is set to step in.

Seattle’s final injury report also ruled out safety Ty Okada, who sat out Week 1 with a hamstring issue. His absence raises a real roster question, especially with Rodney Thomas turning in a surprisingly strong showing. If Thomas keeps playing at that level, the Seahawks may not feel any urgency to hand Okada his job back right away.

There’s also uncertainty on the back end with Nick Emmanwori, who is questionable after missing Week 1 while working back from ankle surgery in July. His status matters more this week than it did against New England, because Arizona brings one of the league’s toughest tight end assignments in Trey McBride. Emmanwori’s size and speed make him the kind of defender Seattle would want on that matchup.

Without him, that responsibility would likely shift elsewhere. Ernest Jones IV and Drake Thomas are solid at what they do, but neither has the kind of quickness to stick with McBride over and over. Devon Witherspoon is one of the league’s top cornerbacks, but he doesn’t have the size to battle McBride on every throw.

Right guard Anthony Bradford is also listed as questionable with knee and hip injuries. If he can’t go, Christian Haynes would be next up. Even if the Seahawks make more adjustments before Sunday, the direction of the report is clear: the changes would be setbacks, not upgrades.

The Cardinals game is scheduled for 1:25 pm PT.

In Other News...

Mike Macdonald's New Edge Already Has Rams Fans Talking

The Seahawks have spent the week drawing attention for reasons that go beyond the usual divisional buildup, with coach Mike Macdonald leaning into modern preparation tools as Seattle gets ready for another round with the Rams. Macdonald has said AI tools such as Copilot are becoming part of the teams strategy, a sign that the Seahawks are trying to find any edge they can as the NFC West race keeps tightening.

Kelly Staffords Instagram story added a little extra spice to the matchup, since the Rams quarterbacks wife made clear she was uneasy with Seattles use of AI in preparation. With the teams still staring at another meeting ahead and both clubs coming off recent stretches that have given their fans plenty to evaluate, the conversation around this matchup has widened well beyond the usual injury reports and game plans. [Read more 🡒]

Mike Macdonald Opened Up About A Seahawks Struggle Fans Never Saw

Mike Macdonalds first season guiding the Seahawks came with more than the usual rookie-coach turbulence. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, he talked openly about how the demands of leadership in 2024 affected him, describing a difficult stretch in which he felt pressure to live up to his own standards while trying to steer a team through the grind of an NFL season.

Macdonald said those challenges reached beyond the sideline and into his own well-being, touching on depression and the mental strain that came with the job. Seattles improvement the following season only sharpened the spotlight on how much his self-awareness and recovery mattered, even if the full story of how he worked through that period still leaves one important piece to be told. [Read more 🡒]

Seahawks Defense Faces A Cardinals Weapon Arizona May Still Hold Back

Jeremiyah Love is trending toward a bigger piece of the Cardinals offense heading into the matchup with Seattle, a notable development for a Seahawks defense that will already have to account for a changing Arizona backfield. The rookie running back is off the Week 2 injury report after recovering from the high-ankle sprain he suffered in the preseason, and he had already shown a glimpse of his value by scoring a touchdown in Week 1.

Arizona still sounds prepared to bring him along deliberately, which means the Seahawks may see Love without necessarily seeing his full workload all at once. The Cardinals are expected to split carries among their running backs, keeping the rookie involved while managing his touches, so Seattle has to prepare for a player who could matter in key spots even if the volume is controlled. [Read more 🡒]