The Seattle Seahawks are turning to Drew Lock against the Arizona Cardinals for the second time this season. Sam Darnold will miss the Week 9 matchup with a quad injury, head coach Mike Macdonald announced at a press conference.
Lock will start Sunday, Nov. 8, at Lumen Field, with Jalen Milroe serving as his backup. Seattle does not expect to place Darnold on injured reserve, and Macdonald said the team may add a quarterback this week.
Two nights earlier, Lock was Seattle’s emergency third quarterback against the Chicago Bears. Now he gets the start against the team he threw three touchdowns against in September.
Drew Lock Already Beat the Cardinals In Place of Sam Darnold
Darnold missed the first Arizona game with a glute injury he suffered in the season opener. Lock started in his place and completed 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 31-7 win at State Farm Stadium.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught all three touchdown passes. The first came on Lock’s opening throw, when a play designed to go elsewhere turned into a deep shot to Seattle’s No. 1 receiver, according to the Seahawks’ account of the game.
Seattle’s defense gave Lock plenty of room to work that afternoon. After Arizona scored its only touchdown, its next six full possessions ended in five punts and an interception. The Cardinals managed just three first downs across those drives, per the team’s game recap.
Arizona will have a different quarterback for the rematch. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur named Gardner Minshew the starter after he replaced Jacoby Brissett and threw three touchdown passes in a 33-30 overtime win over Dallas. Rookie Carson Beck moves into the backup role.
Jalen Milroe Backs Up Lock as Seahawks Weigh Adding a Quarterback
Lock was listed as questionable with a right elbow injury before Monday night’s game against Chicago. Seattle listed him as inactive and designated him the emergency third quarterback for the second straight game, leaving Milroe as Darnold’s primary backup.
Milroe remains the No. 2 quarterback this week, this time behind Lock. If Seattle adds a quarterback, the move would give the Seahawks another option behind those two while Darnold recovers.
The expectation that Darnold will stay off injured reserve leaves open the possibility that he returns before Seattle’s Week 11 bye. The Seahawks visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 15, their only game between Sunday’s rematch and the bye. Macdonald’s update, as reported by Nemhauser, establishes Darnold’s status for Arizona. His availability for Las Vegas is still open.
Seahawks Face Another Quarterback Shakeup Before Cardinals Rematch