Sam Darnold quad injury has Seahawks turning to Lock
Sam Darnold will sit out Sunday against Arizona with a quad injury he suffered in Monday's loss to Chicago, as Drew Lock takes over at quarterback.
Why the Sam Darnold quad injury is trending
Sam Darnold quad injury will keep the Seahawks quarterback out of Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. Coach Mike Macdonald announced the move Wednesday, saying Darnold hurt the quad at the end of Monday night's loss to the Chicago Bears.
Macdonald called Darnold week-to-week, not a long-term injured reserve case. The team is not placing him on injured reserve, which means he could be back once the quad heals enough to practice. No specific return date is known yet.
What is known is where he got hurt, in the Bears game, and what kind of injury it is, a quad injury. What is not known is how many games he will miss beyond Sunday, since the Seahawks have not set a firm return week.
Who starts at quarterback for Seattle
Drew Lock is the choice to start Sunday against Arizona, with Jalen Milroe behind him as the backup, Macdonald said. Lock himself has been out the past two games with an elbow injury, so this is his first chance back since that issue.
Macdonald said the coaching staff trusts both quarterbacks and will have a plan ready for game day, with Seattle working to get Lock and Milroe both prepared to play if needed.
Darnold's injury history this season
The quad is not Darnold's first injury of the year. He missed most of the first two games of the season with a glute injury, which he suffered on the first series of the season opener against the New England Patriots.
That earlier absence is what first put Lock under center in 2026, and it set up the stretch of games that now shapes how Seattle is handling this latest injury.
How Lock has played in relief
Lock made his first two full fill-in starts count. Over that stretch with Darnold out, he threw four touchdown passes and zero interceptions, putting up the sixth-best Total QBR in the league at 82.5.
The best of those outings came in a 31-7 win over Arizona in Week 2, when Lock went 19 of 26 for 235 yards and three touchdowns, the same Cardinals team Seattle faces this Sunday.
Monday night's loss to Chicago, which is when Darnold got hurt, dropped the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks to 4-4 this season.
Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.