Overview
- Sam Darnold will miss Sunday’s game after injuring his quadriceps late in Monday’s loss to the Chicago Bears and playing through a cracked rib sustained on the second play of that game.
- Macdonald said the club will not place Darnold on injured reserve, labeled him week-to-week, and signaled the team may add another quarterback to the roster this week.
- Backup Drew Lock is slated to start but is recovering from an elbow issue that has limited his throwing; second-year Jalen Milroe will serve as the primary backup and both will split reps in practice.
- The move comes with clear performance context: Darnold has regressed in 2026 with low completion rate and a near-even TD/INT tally, while Lock has been efficient in limited duty (35-for-48 for 422 yards, four TDs, no INTs).
- With Seattle 4-4 and a bye after Week 10, the short-term injury absence could prompt a longer evaluation of the quarterback position and has already sparked debate about whether the decision is injury-driven or a soft benching.