The Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold have a lot to be excited about as the clock ticks down to Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8. The event, of course, will feature the Seahawks against the New England Patriots in a West Coast showdown in San Francisco.
But, Darnold has been nursing and oblique injury since January 25, which he oddly suffered during practice. It’s a left oblique strain, and he’s been playing through it, but knowing that one’s franchise quarterback is heading to the Super Bowl with an injury is disconcerting, to say the least.
But, Darnold has still been playing at a top level. He played through the injury in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs and led the Seattle Seahawks to a 41-6 win against the 49ers, as well as the NFC Championship game where they beat the Rams, 31-27.
Now, a new Darnold injury update has surfaced. It sheds light on where this quarterback stands with his injury and how much is team can expect to rely on him in the big game.
Sam Darnold Injury Update Brings a Twist
According to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, the Seattle Seahawks feel very positive about where Darnold stands heading into the Super Bowl. That’s good news for Seahawks fans.
“Now, the last two games that Darnold has played in, he has taken pain-killing shots before those games and didn’t really practice very much leading up to them,” Darlington said in a post on X on Monday evening, February 2.
Darlington added, “But Darnold himself has made very clear he was never concerned about his ability to play in those games and to do so at a high level. John Schneider, Mike Macdonald, both saying that they were so impressed by the way Darnold handled all of it. He was never nervous, never concerned. He was full go all along.”
So, Darnold is trending the right way for the big game. Darlington added that Schneider, Macdonald and the coaching staff were “always kind of wondering whether he’d be at that full capacity, and he was. So they have no concern going into this game. They’ll probably continue to limit his throws, but every week that he is getting further away from that injury, he continues to feel closer to 100%.”
The statement “closer to 100%” is a great one. During the NFC Championship game, Darnold threw for 346 yards on 25-of-36 attempts and with three touchdowns.
Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Sam Darnold: ‘I Feel Support’
Following the NFC Championship win. Speaking to reporters, Darnold was glowing, stating, “It’s great. It’s great that I feel that support not with only their words but just with how everyone treats each other in the building. There is a lot of respect that goes around the building. Everyone respects the work we all put into this great game.”
Darnold added, “I’m just happy to be a part of this team, this group and this coaching staff. I’m really happy to be here, happy to be in this position. I’m just going to continue to do the best that I can to put this team in positions to win football games.”
Darnold ended the 2025-26 regular season passing for 4,048 yards, notching 25 touchdowns and having just 14 interceptions, with a 67.7% completion rate, according to NFL research.
New Sam Darnold Injury Update Surfaces as Super Bowl LX Nears