A quad injury will cause Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold to miss the Week 9 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Darnold suffered the injury late in Monday night’s loss to the Chicago Bears.
Moreover, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald described Darnold as week-to-week but confirmed he will not be placed on injured reserve.
Now, Seattle will turn to Drew Lock, who previously started two games for Seattle after Darnold sustained a glute injury during the Seahawks’ season-opening win over the New England Patriots, leading the team to victories in both appearances.
With Lock playing in Week 9, CBS Sports NFL analyst Ben DiNucci believes that the Seahawks should ride with their backup QB even when Darnold is healthy.
“Drew Lock might give the Seattle Seahawks a better chance to win at the quarterback position,” DiNucci said in a Nov. 4 video from CBS Sports. “Sam Darnold has not played well this year. For whatever reason, he’s turning the ball over.
“This offense looks stuck in the mud. I don’t want to say this is a soft benching, but Drew Lock, when he came in relief in Week 1 against the New England Patriots, led that team back and played really well, with a high completion percentage and no turnovers.
“Then, in Week 2, he followed it up against the same Arizona Cardinals team that he’s going to play this year with 235 yards and three touchdowns. I’m very intrigued to see what Drew Lock does this weekend.”
Seahawks Could Have QB Controversy If Drew Lock Plays Well
Furthermore, DiNucci notes that if Lock looks the way he did in Week 2, the Seahawks might have to have a serious conversation about their starting position, as Seattle needs to turn around their 4-4 record.
“If he plays like he played the first two weeks of the season, I think this is going to be a very interesting topic the rest of the season, considering that the Seattle Seahawks right now are not playing good football,” DiNucci added. “They need to find ways to get back on track on offense. Sam Darnold has 10 touchdowns, nine turnovers, has taken a bunch of sacks, and the offense just kind of looks stuck in the mud.
“I know you can’t put all the blame on Sam Darnold. They need a run game as well. They’re working in some new pieces on the O-line with Quenton Nelson. But this is a big opportunity for Drew Lock. Let’s make no mistake about it. I’m interested to see how he plays this weekend, and I’m very interested to see how this team responds to him being back under center.”
Russell Wilson on Sam Darnold’s Form This Season
After the loss to Chicago in Week 8, former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson shared his thoughts on what he’s seeing from Darnold since his return from injury.
“Sam Darnold’s not comfortable out there, and he doesn’t look all the way healthy,” Wilson said in a Nov. 3 video from CBS Sports. “He’s banged up. He’s kind of getting up and battling through it every time. I think what we have to do in Seattle, in particular, is get healthy again.
“We have to get his mindset back to feeling like he’s ripping it and going, getting some easy completions along the way, and just moving the ball down the field.”
Seahawks Get Strong Drew Lock Message After Sam Darnold Injury