Overview
- Sam Darnold is confirmed to start Sunday after practicing fully this week, coach Mike Macdonald said, ending the one-game absence that let Drew Lock lead the offense.
- Drew Lock remains the lauded backup who guided Seattle to a 2-0 start without turnovers and will be available if needed.
- Washington will start veteran Marcus Mariota because Jayden Daniels is sidelined with a left elbow injury, forcing the Commanders to adapt their game plan.
- Seattle will be without both starting safeties, Julian Love and Ty Okada, with A.J. Finley and Rodney Thomas II expected to start and test the depth of the secondary.
- Betting markets and national outlets strongly favor Seattle — citing the Seahawks’ elite defense, Jaxon Smith‑Njigba’s league‑leading receiving numbers, and Washington’s early defensive struggles — which frames this as a matchup the defending champions are expected to control.