Seahawks QB Drew Lock Provides Positive Injury Update Ahead of Week 10

Lock quelled concerns about his oblique injury before facing the Las Vegas Raiders.

Oct 25, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) looks on during warmups before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Sam Darnold out again in Week 10, Drew Lock is in line to start for the Seattle Seahawks once again against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

Lock, however, has been working through elbow and oblique injuries. The elbow was already an issue before his Week 9 start, and he suffered the oblique in that win over the Arizona Cardinals. When speaking to reporters on Thursday, Lock said the oblique isn't too bad.

“Not too much, honestly,” Lock said when asked if he’s been feeling it when throwing. “We talked about it being on the backside, which is way better for a thrower than on the front side. So, grateful for that.”

By the backside, Lock means his right oblique. As a right-handed thrower, that’s preferable with oblique injuries because more power and rotation is initiated by the frontside oblique.

Nov 8, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) celebrates with running back Zach Charbonnet (26) after a touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Mechanic-wise, yeah, you’ve got to use a little bit of the backside. But when you’re rotating and pulling through, it’s all this,” Lock said, motioning to his left oblique. “That’s really when the torque happens; the speed of the arm comes through with that. So, allowing it to be back here [on the right], mechanically speaking, it is a little better.”

It’s not a new injury for Lock, either, as he said he dealt with a worse oblique injury while he was playing for the New York Giants in 2024. That was his gap year away from the Seahawks after backing up Geno Smith in Seattle in 2023.

“That was on the front side,” Lock explained. “So, yeah, that was not fun for a couple of weeks. Took a couple weeks off. It was in the preseason, though, so I missed the last two preseason games.”

Even though he’s not 100% healthy, Lock should be good to go against the Raiders, barring a setback, of course. The Seahawks then head into a bye in Week 11, and Darnold could return for their Week 12 rematch against the San Francisco 49ers.

At 5-4, the Seahawks are eighth in the NFC at the midway point of the season. Every game is now a must-win if they want to squeeze into the playoffs, especially since the teams ahead of them don’t seem to be slowing down.

Lock has played well in Darnold’s stead, completing 71.1% of his passes for 597 yards and five touchdowns. He hasn’t turned the ball over once, which has been the biggest positive for a Seahawks team that was struggling with giving the ball away.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —

Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter