Analysis: Who Could Seahawks Sign as QB Insurance With Sam Darnold Sidelined?
Enjoying a weekend off after a season-opening 13-10 win over the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks will return to work on Monday to begin gearing up for their NFC West opener on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, but they will likely do so with franchise quarterback Sam Darnold unavailable.
Per various reports, Darnold could miss anywhere from one game to upwards of six weeks with a glute injury, creating plenty of uncertainty about how long Seattle could be without him. In his place, Drew Lock looks poised to make his first start since 2024, when he started a handful of games for the New York Giants, while second-year dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe will serve as the primary backup.
If Darnold potentially could be a short-term injured reserve candidate, which would require him to miss a minimum of four games, the Seahawks will certainly need to be in the market for another quarterback to at minimum sign to the practice squad. But in September, finding a quality insurance option at the most important position in professional sports can be tricky, especially when whoever signs on will have to rapidly learn offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense.
Looking at what may be available to the Seahawks, which quarterbacks should general manager John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald consider bringing on board? Breaking potential candidates into three distinct groups, here are seven players who would make sense for the franchise based on experience, skill set, and upside among other factors:
Bizarre Opening Week for Seahawks, NFC West Concludes With Rams as Only Team in Loss Column
Weird things tend to happen in bunches during the opening week of a new NFL season, and for the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFC West, that certainly proved to be the case as three of the four teams within the division grabbed victories.
Moments after lowering their second-ever Super Bowl title banner at Lumen Field, the Seahawks watched star quarterback Sam Darnold hobble into the locker room after just six offensive plays, and they failed to score a single point in the first half as they fell behind 10-0 in the third quarter against the Patriots. Under such circumstances, most teams would have folded, but that wasn’t the case for coach Mike Macdonald’s championship-tested squad.
Led by Drew Lock under center and an opportunistic defense that picked up where it left off winning a Lombardi Trophy as the No. 1 scoring unit in the league last season, Seattle stormed back with 13 unanswered points. Playing with calm and poise running new coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense, Lock threw for 187 yards and completed 72% of his passes with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and no turnovers, while rookie runnng back Jadarian Price rushed for 52 yards on just 10 carries to lead the rushing attack.
Defensively, the trio of Nehemiah Pritchett, Julian Love, and Josh Jobe picked off MVP runner up Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter, with Jobe’s icing the game inside 30 seconds left to play in the end zone as the Seahawks celebrated their comeback victory in front of a boisterous sellout crowd.
Seahawks Need Supporting Cast of Pass Catchers to Pop
Everyone knows about No. 11 on the Seahawks. That being the reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the one man the opponents can't let beat them, but still manages to do so most of the time anyway.
Smith-Njigba was once again the Seahawks’ biggest weapon in Week 1, and at this point, there’s nothing surprising about that. He finished the 13-10 win over New England with eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown, including the spectacular 45-yard catch-and-run touchdown that tied the game in the fourth quarter. He was responsible for 69 of those yards in the final period alone.
The trouble was, Smith-Njigba was the only one that shined in the passing game. Offensive coordinator Brian Fleury and Lock didn't feature the supporting cast. Rashid Shaheed signed a three-year, $51 million contract to return to Seattle this offseason. The coaching staff envisioned him being a much bigger part of the passing game than he was last season after the trade from New Orleans. Instead, he amassed just 188 receiving yards in nine regular season games in Seattle.
WATCH: Julian Love Stars as ‘The Mayor’ Leads By Action in Seahawks' 13-10 Win vs. Patriots
One of the best all-around safeties in the league, Julian Love put his stamp on the Seattle Seahawks' thrilling comeback win over the New England Patriots to open the season in more ways than one, once again proving "The Mayor" swings a big stick in Mike Macdonald's secondary on the stat sheet and as a leader.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith breaks down Love’s outstanding performance, including a big hit to open the second half that seemed to re-awaken a dormant Lumen Field crowd, and how his presence helped bring out the best in a secondary missing several injured players.
Top Performers in Seahawks’ 13-10 Week 1 Win vs. Patriots
Despite losing starting quarterback Sam Darnold just six snaps into Wednesday’s opener and falling behind 10-0 in the third quarter, led by Drew Lock and an opportunistic defense, the resilient Seattle Seahawks stormed back in front of the boisterous 12s for a thrilling 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots.
Diving into the All-22 film and digging deeper into Seattle’s hard-fought comeback win to kick off the new season, who stood out in the much-anticipated Super Bowl LX rematch? Here are my top five performers from the Seahawks’ three-point victory over Drake Maye and the Patriots at Lumen Field:
Julian Love
Overall Grade: 91.0 (Run Defense 94, Coverage 92, Tackling 87)
Preaching to his teammates to have “violence in their hearts” during warmups, “The Mayor” took those words literally to heart from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Reading New England’s blocking schemes like a book, he rocketed into the backfield for a pair of tackles for loss on running back Rhamondre Stevenson, including a crucial 3rd and 1 stop in the first quarter that forced the visitors to punt the ball away after he blew up the back on a B-gap blitz. Even when receivers made catches in his vicinity, he rattled the bones of Drake Maye’s targets, including demolishing Hunter Henry on a 13-yard reception to open the third quarter with a jarring hit that woke the 12s up from their post-Sam Darnold injury slumber.
‘Mr. Clutch’: Drew Lock Delivers Again in Prime Time, Outduels Drake Maye in Seahawks Season-Opening Win
Once the preseason comes to a close and the calendar flips to September, Drew Lock knows all too well the reality of being an NFL backup quarterback. After months of receiving ample snaps rotating behind Sam Darnold, with the start of regular season games, those opportunities dry up to next to nothing with the starter getting the lion’s share of snaps for the Seattle Seahawks.
Relegated to scout team duty or watching from the sideline, staying prepared for the possibility of having to actually play on game day can be incredibly tricky. There’s no such thing as being able to replace or replicate live reps on the field, but yet, that’s exactly what backups such as Lock have to try to accomplish with limited practice time being fully dedicated to the starters. There’s no proven, scientific formula to do so, with each backup having his own routine during a game week to remain ready if his number is called.
But now in his eighth season, after leading the Seahawks to a thrilling 13-10 comeback win over the Patriots replacing an injured Darnold in the first quarter on Wednesday night, Lock seems to have found the right recipe in Seattle. His secret? Well, it starts and ends in the bedroom - with a dry erase marker and a whiteboard - for the player defensive tackle Jarran Reed calls “Mr. Clutch.”
“I've got one next to my bed. I'll do it at night and I'll do it in the morning,” Lock explained to reporters after the game. “That's just been my thing, being able to visualize it so when I read it out it's just there in my head. Because of the lack of reps you don't get to physically do it. I got to be able to draw it from somewhere, no pun intended, and drawing it helps me draw it from somewhere.”
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Rally Behind Drew Lock, Intercept Way Past Patriots for 13-10 Win
SEATTLE, Wash. - Overcoming an early injury that knocked Sam Darnold out of action, the Seattle Seahawks roared back from a 10-point second half deficit to open the 2026 season with a 13-10 win over the New England Patriots.
Filling in admirably for Darnold, Drew Lock outplayed Drake Maye, completing 16 out of 22 passes for 187 yards and a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with 122 receiving yards to kick off the new year. The trio of Julian Love, Nehemiah Pritchett, and Josh Jobe recorded fourth quarter interceptions, with the latter picking off Maye in the end zone to ice the game inside 30 seconds to play.
Diving into a wild, adversity-filled opener, here are five takeaways from a big-time win in a Super Bowl LX rematch at Lumen Field:
1. Despite Darnold scare and a slow start for the backup, Lock comes up clutch again in relief.
On the path to a Lombardi Trophy a year ago, Seattle had relatively positive fortunes on the injury front. But only a few minutes into Wednesday’s opener, that luck got twisted upside down in a heartbeat, sending a frenzied crowd into a silenced panic. Sacked by Dre’Mont Jones on third down to end the opening series, Darnold gingerly jogged off, trying to shake off the discomfort as he headed to the sideline. Only a few minutes later, he spent a brief spell in the blue injury tent before hobbling to the locker room, sending Lock in for sub duty.
Sam Darnold Exits Seahawks Opener, Ruled Out With Hip Injury
Bringing a worst case scenario to life for the Seattle Seahawks as they begin their Super Bowl title defense, Sam Darnold exited the field after just one series in Wednesday’s season opener against the New England Patriots with a hip injury.
Replacing Darnold just one drive into the opener, Drew Lock took over at the 7:29 mark after the Seahawks’ defense forced a punt on their opening series.
After his first pass went for 13 yards to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Darnold uncorked an ugly incompletion and then found himself under duress on the ensuing third down. He managed to escape the initial blitzer with his eyes still scanning downfield, but as he tried to move to his left, he was dragged down by veteran defensive end Dre’Mont Jones for a drive-ending sack.
Key Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Battle Patriots in Week 1 Super Bowl Rematch
Finally beginning their march to “run it forward” after winning Super Bowl LX in February, the Seattle Seahawks will open their title defense against the same New England Patriots that they defeated in Santa Clara in a statement Week 1 Wednesday night battle at Lumen Field.
While both teams return many of the same players who played in that matchup seven months ago, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald understands that his team can’t put too much stock into what worked that night in an always unpredictable opener, especially with the changes that the Patriots have made to improve their roster over the course of the offseason.
“First game of the year is a little tricky,” Macdonald said on Saturday. “You don’t want to fall in the trap of applying last year’s things you see too much to what’s going to happen this year. Teams grow and evolve and change and there’s different personnel on both sides. Our focus is trying to do the things that we do that our guys can go play the best they can and also try to apply as much pressure as you can as well but understanding how the game goes, there’s going to be some things that we’re going to be required to make adjustments in game.”
With the Seahawks looking to start off with a win and the Patriots seeking redemption in prime time, which matchups will dictate which reigning conference champion grabs a marquee season opening victory?
Super Bowl LX Redux: What’s Changed for Seahawks and Patriots?
The Seahawks and Patriots are set for the Super Bowl LX rematch in Seattle on Wednesday night. The Super Bowl championship banner will be raised at Lumen Field and then the two defending conference champions will do battle to kick off the 2026 regular season. The Seahawks punished the Patriots to the tune of a 29-13 victory that certainly could’ve been more lopsided.
A lot can change in an NFL offseason. The draft, free agency, and trades always create roster turnover for all 32 teams year after year. Even though these two squads were the last ones standing last season and now are kicking off the new year, much has changed. Let’s start with what is the same.
What is the Same?
The two teams return both their head coach and starting quarterback from Super Bowl LX. Drake Maye finished as the NFL MVP runner-up last year. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is still calling plays with running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. A large chunk the offensive line returns, with a few notable additions.
Sam Darnold is still slinging it to the same bevy of weapons he had late last year, including reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, and AJ Barner. Most notably, Seattle returns all five of their starters along the offensive line.
Analysis: Expect Multiplicity as Seahawks Try to Replace Nick Emmanwori in Season Opener
Now just two days away from their season opener, while the team will not make final designations until Tuesday, the odds of Nick Emmanwori being available for the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday night remain iffy at best.
Emmanwori, who underwent ankle surgery days before the start of training camp, has been gradually ramping up activity on the field since being activated from the PUP list in mid-August. This week, he has taken another positive step forward practicing with a helmet on and partaking in more individual drills, but that may not be enough to warrant rushing him back into the lineup for the opener.
Still, as expected given the fact the team doesn’t have to announce anything until Tuesday, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald kept the door open with a coy response on Emmanwori’s status after Monday’s practice.
“Nick had his most work over the last couple of days, looks great, and he practiced limited today,” Macdonald said with a subtle smirk on his face, providing a minimal update.
Until Emmanwori has been officially ruled out, there’s always an outside shot that the second-year safety manages to suit up for Seattle. But with him still not practicing in full after missing all of training camp and the preseason, signs continue to point to the team being cautious with a long season ahead, hoping to potentially have him return in Week 2 against the Cardinals when he has had another full week of practice under his belt.
‘Let ‘Er Rip’: Brian Fleury Inspiring Confidence Entering Seahawks’ - and NFL - Play-Calling Debut
Now in his third season as head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald still has the same butterflies going into the season opener as he did when he first received the opportunity to call plays at Michigan five years ago.
Whether it can be chalked up as nerves, anxiety, excitement, or a cocktail of all three, Macdonald sees those emotions all as a natural part of the equation being a football coach and kicking off a new season. From that standpoint, as Brian Fleury prepares to call plays in a regular season game for the first time, he expects the Seahawks new offensive coordinator to experience an array of such feelings when they take on the Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch on Wednesday.
Not seeing that blend of fervor and apprehension as necessarily a negative thing, leaning on his own play calling debut as guidance, Macdonald would advise Fleury to embrace those emotions as they come, be confident in the process and trust the work he has put in leading up to this point, and quickly remind himself that at the end of the day, Wednesday is just another football game.
“Like with the rest of our players, [it’s about] trusting our training, trusting the preparation,” Macdonald said about Fleury’s impending debut as coordinator prior to Saturday’s practice. “I still do that. You’re always going to feel there’s whatever; is it anxiety, is it excitement? Those things are natural, it means you care, it means it matters to you. I hope our players feel that. When you do have those feelings, understand like, ‘Hey, we’re still playing a football game that we’ve prepared for and take a deep breath and go let ‘er rip and let’s rock and roll.’”
Seahawks Prepping for ‘Guessing Game' Facing Overhauled Patriots in Super Bowl Rematch
Playing the same opponent to end one season and open another isn’t completely unprecedented in the NFL, particularly in the event that the two teams who played in the previous Super Bowl just happen to have a rare out of conference matchup slated for the following regular season.
Still, when the Seattle Seahawks kick off their Super Bowl title defense against the New England Patriots, the “same” opponent that they defeated to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara back in February, there’s no question there will be some oddities to the rematch seven months and a full offseason in the making. Beyond playing on a Wednesday night, which has only happened five times previously in league history, including twice on Christmas, the two squads will have some notable differences personnel-wise, particularly for the visitors flying in from Foxboro.
Settling into his first game planning week of the season, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald likes the “change of pace” away from the vanilla days of the preseason in August and has certainly gone back to watch Super Bowl LX as a means for preparation for the Patriots, but he understands the unpredictable nature that always comes with season openers regardless of familiarity with opponent. No matter what, there inevitably will be developments in the game that his staff and players haven’t prepared for and need to audible on accordingly.
“First game of the year is a little tricky,” Macdonald said prior to Saturday’s practice, which replaced the typical Wednesday practice to open a game week given the unique Week 1 schedule. “You don’t want to fall in the trap of applying last year’s things you see too much to what’s going to happen this year. Teams grow and evolve and change and there’s different personnel on both sides. Our focus is trying to do the things that we do that our guys can go play the best they can and also try to apply as much pressure as you can as well but understanding how the game goes, there’s going to be some things that we’re going to be required to make adjustments in game.”
‘Surprised’ Avery Smith Excited to Join Seahawks, Carve Out Role With Defending Champs
Hours before the NFL’s roster cutdown deadline arrived, Avery Smith found himself in the same position as the vast majority of undrafted rookies around the league, restlessly sitting on pins and needles hanging onto hopes of making the Los Angeles Chargers’ 53-man roster.
But Smith’s short NFL journey took an unexpected, rare detour. Rather than being informed by the Chargers that he had made the team or been cut, the former Toledo standout learned that fate had entirely different plans, taking him to the Pacific Northwest as a member of the Seahawks, indeed making a 53-man roster but with a different team than the one he had suited up for since early May.
After scrambling to gather his belongings and embark on the trip north to the Emerald City in a matter of days, Smith’s whirlwind of a week led to him donning a No. 27 uniform in his first practice as a Seahawk on Thursday, still plenty shocked to be in his new surroundings.
“I follow football, and I haven’t really heard of an undrafted free agent getting traded before the regular season,” Smith said, expressing his excitement for joining the Seahawks amid the unexpected. “So that is what surprised me.”
PODCAST: Title Defense Begins as Seahawks Ramp Up Prep for Week 1 Super Bowl Rematch
Winning the Super Bowl is, well, a difficult feat to achieve, and as the Seattle Seahawks try to become just the ninth team ever to repeat in NFL history, the climb from the bottom of the mountain will soon begin with a rematch against the Patriots at Lumen Field.
Seahawks Triple Option hosts Robert Turbin, Corbin Smith, and Rob Rang share their unique perspectives on the challenges that come with being a defending champion and assess how prepared Mike Macdonald's squad is to wear the target on their back seven months after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, dish out their roster superlatives on a number of 53-man and practice squad related scenarios, including biggest surprise and most likely to be "Wally Pipped," and break down New England's offseason changes on the offensive side of the football and how improvements could make life tougher for Seattle in a Week 1 rematch.
Subscribe to the Seattle Triple Option podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
Sale Finalized: Introducing the Khoslas, Seahawks New Ownership Group
Ushering in a new era for the franchise, one week after unanimous approval by NFL owners to take the torch from the Allen estate, the Seattle Seahawks announced on Thursday that the sale to the Khosla family has been finalized, making them controlling owners of the team.
With the sale now executed, Vinod Kholsa - founder of Khosla Ventures - will take over as Seattle’s new Chair, while his wife Neeru Khosla will be Controlling Owner and President of the Seahawks Charitable Foundation and son Neal Khosla will serve as Vice Chair.
"We are honored and excited to begin this next chapter,” Vinod Khosla said through a statement on the team’s website. “The Seahawks are known for their championship culture, winning football, and a deep connection to the 12s and the Pacific Northwest. We look forward to engaging with the Seattle community and building upon the legacy and traditions that make this franchise so special. We would like to extend our gratitude to the investors joining our ownership group and to everyone who has supported us throughout the sale process."
WATCH: Behind Untested Jadarian Price, Is Seahawks Run Game Regular Season Ready?
Losing the Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker III in free agency, the state of the run game may be the Seahawks' biggest question mark as they prepare to defend their Super Bowl title.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith revisits Seattle's crazy rushing splits from the first to second half last season and examines how concerned fans should be about the team having similar issues early in the 2026 season with a new stable of backs led by rookie Jadarian Price and a new offensive coordinator in Brian Fleury calling plays.
Seahawks Star Leonard Williams Somehow Still NFL’s Most Disrespected Player
The nature of being a “12” is that of feeling consistently overlooked and underappreciated. Seattle isn’t the same media market darling like L.A., the Bay Area, or New York. The Seahawks don’t have the glitz and glamour of the Cowboys or the ironclad history of the Steelers.
What the Seahawks do have, however, is a franchise that has won two Super Bowls inside of 15 years and one of the loudest, most passionate fanbases in all of sports. Just like its fans, the Seahawks themselves have players that are consistently overlooked, underappreciated, and unheralded despite being among the best at their respective positions.
Lenard Williams has the résumé of a star and the recognition of a complementary piece. Part of the problem is the position itself and how we measure it. Interior defenders who do not pile up double-digit sacks every year get treated as role players even when they occupy two blockers and free everyone else. Even that description is disrespectful to what Williams means to Seattle’s now famous “Dark Side” defense.
WATCH: Why Seahawks Traded for Avery Smith, How Rookie Corner Fits Into Secondary Plans
Continuing to shuffle the deck in their cornerback room heading towards the start of the regular season, the Seattle Seahawks shipped a 2027 sixth round pick to the Chargers for Avery Smith as they trimmed the roster down to 53 players.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith examines why Seattle felt compelled to deal a draft pick for an undrafted rookie cornerback in Smith, where his strengths lie as he joins an evolving secondary, and how the ex-Toledo standout could potentially make an early impact on defense and/or special teams.
Noah Igbinoghene Among Several Ex-Seahawks to Land With New Teams
While the NFL institutes a hard deadline for teams to get their rosters down to 53 players after the conclusion of the preseason, the churning of rosters across the league continues for several days leading up to Week 1.
For Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider, making as many transactions as possible post-cutdown day has been a source of pride for the organization, as he believes it to be an integral part of building the best roster and practice squad possible. As rules have changed, so has the strategy for the reigning Executive of the Year, including leaning in on the ability to place as many as six vested veterans with four or more years of experience on the practice squad, allowing the team to protect more of their talented young players from the waiver wire as a result.
On that front, the Seahawks terminated the contracts of eight veterans as part of Sunday’s roster bludgeoning, including cornerback Trevon Diggs, safety D’Anthony Bell, and running back Velus Jones Jr., hoping to retain as many of those players who weren’t exposed to waivers as possible either on the practice squad or re-signing to the active roster.
“Having the six veterans on the practice squad has enabled us to not expose certain players to the waiver wire. And yeah, it's a strategy for the initial 53 cut,” Schneider explained after Sunday’s initial cuts. “And then as well as what we're going to look like in the middle of October and then trying to be as strong as we possibly can and as deep as we possibly can with a combination of older and younger players down the stretch, end of November, December, January, hopefully February.”
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