Seahawks Rule Out Sam Darnold vs. Cardinals; Drew Lock Uncertain, Jalen Milroe Looms as Option

RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals due to a quadriceps injury, head coach Mike Macdonald announced Wednesday. Darnold is considered week-to-week but will not be placed on injured reserve, leaving the door open for a potential return in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The team plans to start backup Drew Lock, though he is still managing an injury to his throwing elbow that sidelined him for the previous two games. Macdonald acknowledged that third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe could see action depending on Lock’s progress this week.

“We’ll be getting both guys ready to play,” Macdonald said. “We’ve got full confidence in those guys, and we have a plan in place and we’ll go execute it.”

Macdonald also indicated the Seahawks may sign another quarterback this week.

Darnold sustained the quad injury on the final drive of Monday night’s 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, a defeat that dropped the defending Super Bowl champions to 4-4. Macdonald revealed Wednesday that Darnold also played the entire game with a cracked rib suffered on the second offensive snap when cornerback Kyler Gordon blasted him on a blitz. The coaching staff was unaware of the rib injury until after the game.

Against Chicago, Darnold completed 17 of 34 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He was sacked three times and absorbed six quarterback hits. His 29.4% off-target rate was a season high in the six games since his return from a Week 1 glute injury.

“This guy, he’s tough as nails,” Macdonald said. “I just asked if I could share this, but he cracked his rib on the second play of the game. So he’s playing the whole game without even making a thing of it and playing his tail off and competing. I think it’s worth noting how tough this guy is. He’ll be back sooner than later, I’m sure.”

Macdonald suggested Darnold could have played through the rib injury alone, but the quad issue forced the sideline decision. The injuries continue a turbulent season for the quarterback, who missed most of the opener and the following week with a glute strain.

“I know it’s a challenge, but I’ve got a lot of respect for how he goes through these things because he goes through it,” Macdonald said. “There’s no blink, there’s no flinch. It’s a very matter-of-fact, attacking mentality, which I think that’s reflective of the rest of our team, which I appreciate.”

Since returning in Week 3, Darnold has thrown nine interceptions in six games, completing just over 60% of his passes with 10 touchdowns and a Total QBR of 50.8, ranking 22nd in the league.

In contrast, Lock did not commit a turnover in the first two games, completing nearly 73% of his passes with a Total QBR of 82.5 (sixth in the NFL during that span). Three of his four touchdown passes came in a 31-7 Week 2 victory over Arizona that moved Seattle to 2-0.

Lock has been listed as limited on every injury report since Week 6 (Oct. 11). He was questionable for the past two games but ultimately ruled inactive, dressing only as the emergency third quarterback. He was not observed throwing with the quarterbacks during pregame warmups.

“He’s able to throw,” Macdonald said. “How much, we’re working through that right now. But that’s the best way to put it … He’s going to throw the ball throughout the week, but we’re just going to manage it. He’s not going to take 8,000 throws.”

Macdonald said Lock suffered the elbow injury during a rainy practice but did not specify the date.

“It’s an elbow injury,” Macdonald said. “All the fancy names, I can’t explain that to you, but he hasn’t thrown much.”

Milroe, a 2025 third-round pick, was drafted for his running ability in specialty packages while he developed as a passer. However, early fumbling issues have kept him off the field in regular-season games since Week 5 of last season.

Macdonald said Lock and Milroe will split practice reps this week, starting with a walk-through Wednesday.

“I think we’ve just got to take it day by day at this time,” he said. “But Jalen will take some practice reps as well. Today’s a slow day, so it’s kind of hard to tell. We have a plan for Drew to get some live throws later, but I think it’s just one of those things where we kind of have to work it day-in and day-out and figure out what’s the best way to get him to Sunday.”

Seattle’s 17-point loss to Chicago was its most lopsided defeat since December 2024. The Seahawks played without outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (ankle), wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (knee), and left tackle Charles Cross (ankle), then lost defensive tackle Leonard Williams (stinger) in the second half. Macdonald said all four have a chance to play against Arizona.

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