Pro Football Rumors
Playing the first season of a three-year, $100.5MM contract, quarterback Sam Darnold helped guide the Seahawks to a 14-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Seahawks are preparing for a rubber match against the NFC West rival 49ers on Saturday, but Darnold unexpectedly popped up on the injury report Thursday. He’s questionable with an oblique issue, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.
Darnold, who said he “felt a little something” on his left side, practiced on a limited basis Thursday. The two-time Pro Bowler is fully confident he’ll play Saturday. If not, the Seahawks will turn to veteran backup Drew Lock. Considering Darnold hasn’t missed a game since 2023, it would be a major surprise to see Lock under center versus San Francisco.
Between his time with the Vikings last year and his work with the Seahawks this season, Darnold has helped his teams to an incredible 28-6 since 2024.
Once considered a bust, the former No. 3 overall pick of the Jets surpassed 4,000 yards for the second straight year in 2025. He ranked third in yards per attempt (8.5), threw 25 touchdowns and posted a 99.1 passer rating, though he did toss the third-most interceptions in the league (14).
Darnold didn’t throw a pick in either of the Seahawks-49ers regular-season matchups, which the teams split, but his production was unspectacular. He combined to go 36 of 49 for 348 yards and no touchdowns. Darnold will aim for better numbers in the teams’ third and final showdown of the season while attempting to rebound from an ugly playoff loss with the Vikings last January. The Rams sacked Darnold nine times in a 27-9 blowout in the wild-card round. He went 25 of 40 for 245 yards, a TD and a pick.
Darnold’s rough showing against the Rams ended his tenure with Minnesota, which allowed him to depart in free agency. Darnold’s Seahawks contract includes incentives that he has already collected, as Henderson details. Seattle’s offense finished eighth in the league, which earned Darnold $500K. He racked up another $500K in incentives for passing yards, completion rate and a playoff berth. Postseason win incentives are still on the table for Darnold, who will make his second career playoff start Saturday. That’s assuming his oblique injury doesn’t stand in the way.
