Sam Darnold Declared out for Week 9 vs. Cardinals

As it turns out, Sam Darnold was more beat up than expected in Monday's loss to the Chicago Bears, and he's now missing at least a game.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) stands on the field after the game against the Washington Commanders. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We may have our answer as to why Sam Darnold was so frustratingly inaccurate on Monday Night against the Chicago Bears. Per Mike Macdonald, Sam sustained a broken rib on the second play of the game, and combined with the quad injury he suffered late, he has already been ruled out for this weekend. 

The Immediate Ramifications

Per Mike Macdonald, Drew Lock will start in Darnold's place this weekend. This is significant, as Lock has been limited in practice the last two weeks and was inactive for both games, with reporters indicating that Lock was limited in his ability to throw during practice. We'll find out later today if those limitations persist, but the implication is he’s available.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) throws the ball in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Many Seattle Seahawk fans have been clamoring for Lock over the last month amid poor play from Sam, so there will be a lot of excitement in the fanbase to see if Lock can perform. Drew obviously played quite well earlier this season, particularly against the Arizona Cardinals, who he will be facing this weekend. It’s certainly a defense that can be had.

The Long Term Considerations

Sam Darnold had already been playing his way out of a lucrative extension, and quite possibly being in Seattle at all. Now that he's had the second half of his season derailed by injury, it becomes all the more likely that this is the end of the line for Sam. If Drew plays well, it's possible he doesn't even get his starting job back now, given how shaky things were.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) calls a play at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There’s also the possibility that he won’t be able to get his starting job back at all by virtue of the fact that the injury is serious enough to sideline him for a while. The Seahawks play the Raiders after the Cardinals, and then have their bye week, so I imagine there is strong incentive to at least hold Sam out until then. Given how fast they scratched him this week, maybe more.

The Bottom Line

The offense of the Seahawks has been so poor in recent times, it’s hard to suggest that this makes things much worse. This defense is still among the best in the NFL, so they can win games. It’s also an opportunity to take an extended look at Lock and decide if he is the quarterback you want to bring back for the 2027 season instead of Darnold.

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury during the first quarter against the New England Patriots. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s also a chance to evaluate Brian Fleury with a different quarterback, and if things go significantly better then perhaps the problem isn’t with Brian. I won’t pretend that Drew Lock is an elite quarterback, but he’s proven capable, and if Fleury isn’t able to put up decent results with him then it’s probably safe to assume that he’s just not the guy.

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