The Seahawks are shoring up a quarterback room that suddenly looks a lot thinner than anyone in Seattle would like.
Before Wednesday’s practice got underway, the team added former Nebraska and Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez, who most recently spent time with the San Francisco 49ers. The move comes with Sam Darnold ruled out for Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals because of a quad injury, on top of the cracked rib he picked up in Monday’s loss to the Chicago Bears.
Drew Lock is expected to start, but he’s also working through a right elbow injury that kept him out of the last two games. That’s why Martinez is in the building now - as extra protection if Seattle needs another arm available.
Martinez’s best pro run hasn’t come in the NFL. It came in the UFL with the Birmingham Stallions, where he went 6-1 as a starter, threw 15 touchdown passes against just 3 interceptions, and added more than 500 rushing yards along with 3 rushing scores. Those numbers earned him league MVP honors.
He also took home game MVP in the 2024 UFL Championship against the San Antonio Brahmas, when he threw a touchdown pass to former Seahawks draft pick Gary Jennings Jr and ran for a pair of scores in a 25-0 win.
If Lock remains limited by the elbow issue, Martinez would be the likeliest candidate for a game-day elevation against Arizona on Sunday.
Seattle made another roster move as well, bringing Jamie Sheriff back to the practice squad after his short stay with the Los Angeles Rams. To make room, the Seahawks released wide receiver Malick Meiga and linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo.
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