Is Sam Darnold Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for 49ers vs. Seahawks)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold popped up on the team's injury report with an oblique issue on Thursday after he felt something during practice.

Despite that, the former first-round pick said that he expects to play in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night.

Sam Darnold said he felt a little something in his oblique early in practice, but said he expects to play Saturday. pic.twitter.com/bWC59j0Yhc
— John Boyle (@johnpboyle) January 15, 2026

Seattle is still a seven-point favorite at home in the latest odds at DraftKings, so it's pretty clear that the betting market expects Darnold to be good to go for this matchup. Seattle knocked off San Francisco in Week 18 to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and Saturday's meeting will be the third between these teams this season.

The road team has won each of the first two meetings, with the Seattle defense holding San Fran to just three points in Week 18. So, Darnold may not have to be super effective on Saturday to advance his team to the NFC Championship Game.

If for some reason Darnold is downgraded and cannot play, veteran Drew Lock and rookie Jalen Milroe would be next in line at quarterback for Seattle.

During the regular season, Darnold completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this season. Seattle is by far the biggest favorite in the divisional round, although the odds have shifted slightly in San Francisco's favor, as the Seahawks opened the week favored by 7.5 points.

In Week 18, Darnold completed 76.9 percent of his passes for 198 yards in Seattle's win over the 49ers. The San Francisco defense has been shaky this season, ranking in the bottom 10 in the league in EPA/Play, but it did hold the Philadelphia Eagles in check in the wild card round.

It'll be interesting to see how Darnold fares in this game since he may be at less than 100 percent.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $200 in bonus bets instantly.