Seattle’s Week 9 matchup with Arizona took a major turn before the week even really got going. Sam Darnold will not suit up for the Seahawks because of a quad injury, and Mike Macdonald moved quickly to shut down any suspense around his status.
That means Drew Lock is in line to start against the Cardinals for the second time in the 2026 season.
The betting market reacted fast. Seattle opened as an 11.5-point favorite and briefly climbed to 12.5 points early in the week, but the number had fallen to Seahawks -8.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook after the Darnold news, a four-point drop tied directly to the quarterback change.
Lock already has one strong showing against Arizona on his résumé this season. In Week 2, he threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a win that pushed Seattle to 2-0. Now he gets another shot at the Cardinals with the Seahawks sitting at 4-4 after eight weeks.
Darnold’s season has been uneven. Seattle has gone 2-4 in the six games he has completed, and he has been plagued by turnovers, with nine interceptions in seven games. On the year, he has completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 1,478 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 72 rushing yards.
Lock, a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, brings a lot of starting experience and has performed better than Darnold in his limited 2026 action. Even with the quarterback switch, oddsmakers still have the Seahawks as the favorite, just not by nearly as much as they did with Darnold available.
Seattle’s next game after Arizona is a Week 10 meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders, which would be Darnold’s next chance to return. The fact that Macdonald ruled him out this early in the week could point to something more than a one-game absence.
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Seattle also re-signed Jamie Sheriff to the practice squad while making room by releasing wide receiver Malick Meiga and linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo. The roster shuffle underscores how much the Seahawks are trying to protect themselves at quarterback, especially with Lock working back from an elbow injury and the team needing a reliable fallback if the situation gets any tighter. [Read more 🡒]
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Taylors production has again made him one of the most intriguing names on the market, with 587 rushing yards and eight touchdowns through seven games this season. Indianapolis is said to be open to offers, and Seattles interest fits the moment: after investing in protection up front, the next question is whether the Seahawks are ready to pay the price to pair that line with a proven difference-maker in the run game. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Could Get Jaxon Smith-Njigba Help From An Unlikely Rival Source
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If that door opens, the Seahawks could find themselves in an unusual spot: eyeing help for Jaxon Smith-Njigba from a division rival. Seattle has been looking to strengthen its wide receiver group, and a player of Aiyuks caliber becoming available would give the team a chance to explore a move that would have seemed far-fetched not long ago. [Read more 🡒]