Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has confirmed that quarterback Sam Darnold will miss the upcoming road game against the Arizona Cardinals . A glute injury sustained during the opening win against the New England Patriots has sidelined the Pro Bowl signal-caller for the Week 2 matchup.
Drew Lock's 113.3 passer rating earns the Week 2 start
The Seattle Seahawks will turn to Drew Lock to lead the offense in Arizona. According to the report, Lock stepped in during the first quarter of the season opener against the New England Patriots and delivered a highly efficient performance. He completed 72.7% of his passes, throwing for 187 yards and one touchdown without any interceptions.
Lock enters this game with 28 NFL starts under his belt, providing a veteran presence for the Seattle Seahawks.. His performance in the 13-10 victory over the Patriots demonstrated a level of stability that should ease concerns for Mike Macdonald as the team travels for their first road game of the season.
Protecting the Super Bowl LX championship momentum
This injury comes at a precarious time for a franchise that has reached the pinnacle of the sport. As reported by the source, the Seattle Seahawks are coming off a historic 2025 campaign where they posted a 14-3 record—the best in the NFC—and ultimately won Super Bowl LX. This victory marked only the second championship in the history of the Seattle Seahawks franchise.
The loss of Sam Darnold is a significant blow to the reigning champions' continuity. Last season, Darnold was a cornerstone of the offense, recording 4,048 passing yards, 25 touchdowns,and a 99.1 passer rating. his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection underscores the gap in experience between the starting quarterback and the depth chart.
Maintaining a nine-game winning streak over Arizona
Despite the absence of Sam Darnold, the Seattle Seahawks enter the Sunday afternoon game at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX with a psychological edge. The team has won nine consecutive games against the Arizona Cardinals and swept the 2025 season series against their NFC West rivals.
The dominance of the Seattle Seahawks over the Arizona Cardinals suggests that the system implemented by Mike Macdonald may be robust enough to withstand a temporary change at quarterback. The focus for the Seattle Seahawks will be whether Drew Lock can maintain that divisional superiority without the Pro Bowl talent of Darnold under center.
The status of Jalen Milroe and the IR decision
While Mike Macdonald stated that the Seattle Seahawks do not "anticipate" placing Sam Darnold on injured reserve, the exact timeline for the quarterback's return remains unconfirmed. This leaves the team relying on a thin rotation, with second-year quarterback and former third-round pick Jalen Milroe serving as the backup to Drew Lock.
There are still lingering questions regarding the severity of the glute injury, as the source does not specify if the injury is a strain or something more structural. Furthermore, it remains unclear if Jalen Milroe will see any meaningful snaps if the game against the Arizona Cardinals becomes a blowout or if Drew Lock struggles to replicate his Week 1 success.
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