Mike Macdonald's Comments Give Seahawks Hint in Sam Darnold Injury Status

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold missed the team's Week 2 contest with a hip and glute injury.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold takes the field prior to a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is hoping to ramp up after suffering a Week 1 injury against the New England Patriots.

Darnold missed practice all of last week leading up to their Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals, but he's starting this week off on the right foot by participating in a limited fashion. This is a step up from last week, and head coach Mike Macdonald added fuel to the fire suggesting Darnold could play on Sunday against the Washington Commanders.

"I don't know what fully healthy means," Macdonald said via ESPN insider Brady Henderson. "I think we'll make a decision at some point before Friday's over. I don't think we'd go into the weekend not knowing if he's going to play. But it's on a good track right now, assuming today goes well."

Sam Darnold Decision Coming Soon

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold takes the field for warm ups before a game against the New England Patriots. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seahawks could play the wait-and-see game and give Darnold a chance to warm up pregame on Sunday before determining whether he could play, but it doesn't look like Seattle is going to do that. Before they leave for their flight to the nation's capital, they will know whether Darnold or Drew Lock will get the start against the Commanders.

Darnold was limited in the team's first practice of the week, but it's likely that the Seahawks would not want to go with him unless he fully participates in practice on Friday. Seattle could ramp him up and get him closer to that status for Thursday's practice, but Friday is the big indicator.

The Seahawks aren't necessarily going to rush Darnold back into action because they feel confident in what Lock can bring to the table. In his time under center so far this season, Lock has completed 35 of 48 passes for 422 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He looked truly capable of fulfilling the starting role for as long as Darnold needed to recover from his injury.

If it just so happens to take one more week, the Seahawks are more than willing to let that happen.

Kickoff between the Seahawks and Commanders is scheduled for 10 am PT on Sunday inside Northwest Stadium. Fans can watch the game on FOX or stream it on the FOX One app.

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