Is Sam Darnold Playing Today? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Seahawks vs. Commanders in NFL Week 3)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (glute) returned to practice ahead of the team's Week 3 matchup with the Washington Commanders, and he's expected to start on Sunday.

Darnold is officially off the injury report for this Week 3 clash, making a quicker recovery than expected from the glute injury that he suffered on the first drive against the New England Patriots in Week 1.

#Seahawks QB Sam Darnold (glute) is off the injury report and will play against the #Commanders.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 25, 2026

The return of the Super Bowl-winning quarterback has dramatically shifted the odds for the Seahawks vs. Commanders matchup at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Seattle opened Week 3 as a 5.5-point road favorite against the Commanders, who are set to start veteran Marcus Mariota in place of the injured Jayden Daniels. However, with Daniels out and Darnold returning, Seattle is now a 7.5-point favorite in this game. The line moved to Seahawks -7 when Darnold return to practice, and it received another half-point boost now that he's cleared to start.

While Darnold was sidelined, Drew Lock filled in admirably for Seattle through two weeks, leading the Seahawks to wins over New England and Arizona. The former second-round pick has completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 422 yards, four scores and no interceptions.

Despite losing its starting quarterback to open the season, Seattle still ranks 11th in the NFL in EPA/Play on offense, and the defense is a top-five unit in EPA/Play and No. 2 in success rate. So, it makes sense that oddsmakers have pushed the Seahawks to more than a touchdown favorite against a Washington team that is without its start quarterback.

Last season, Darnold had a career year for Seattle, completing 67.7 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards and 25 scores. He did throw 14 interceptions, but the Seahawks went 14-3 in the regular season and stormed through the playoffs to win the Super Bowl.

Now, the veteran quarterback will look to build on that success in his first full game of the 2026 campaign.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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