Why Drew Lock is Thriving as the Seahawks' Starting Quarterback

With Sam Darnold on the sideline, the Seahawks have had perfect performances from their backup QB.

Seattle Seahawks Drew Lock (2) scrambles out of the backfield against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sept. 20, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Anyone who was gunning for the Seattle Seahawks to sign or trade for another quarterback while starter Sam Darnold is sidelined with an injury has to be feeling silly at this point.

Backup quarterback Drew Lock has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL through two games, and he completed 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in the Seahawks’ blowout 31-7 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

“Really proud of Drew; really happy for him. I mean, we’re on record about how we feel about him,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said postgame. “So, he just backed that up today … You just couldn’t be happier for the guy. We just love him. All the things we said about him throughout the week — that was real; that was from the heart.”

Lock is the ideal backup quarterback

Lock has completed 35 of 48 passes (72.9% completion) for 422 yards, four touchdowns and zero turnovers in the Seahawks’ first two games. It’s hard to imagine any player Seattle would’ve signed off the streets would have done a better job to this point.

With a whole week to prepare as the starter, Lock looked even better than he did in Week 1. That helps a ton, particularly because he got all the practice reps with the starters and the game plan is built around his strengths.

Sep 20, 2026; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) calls a play in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“The operation improved drastically [from Week 1], and Drew deserves a lot of credit for that,” Macdonald said. “I thought he was aggressive when he needed to be and took care of the ball [when needed]. He just did a great job.”

Lock has been the Seahawks’ backup since the beginning of last season after returning from one season with the New York Giants. He was originally acquired by Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade with the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season, backing up Geno Smith from 2022-23. 

The Giants gave Lock an opportunity to start in 2024, but he returned to the Seahawks last season to back up Darnold.

The culture Macdonald has created and the belief Lock has felt from everyone in the franchise have helped him flourish, and that goes a long way for a backup quarterback trying to uphold championship standards.

“It was a lot of fun working with everyone in that building,” Lock said. “I mean, I talk about how much I love that building; the reason I come back [from New York], it kind of just played out all week — feeling love from everybody.”

There’s a chance that Darnold will return in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders. However, as of now, the Seahawks have no reason to rush him back from his glute injury while Lock is playing as well as he is.

— 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