Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will sit out Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals with a quad injury, handing the start to backup Drew Lock for the second time this season.
Darnold also played through a cracked rib suffered on the second play of Monday night’s 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, an injury he never mentioned to teammates. Lock said he picked up on it anyway, without Darnold saying a word.
Asked by a reporter how he knew Darnold was hurt, Lock reached for a comparison to a long-term relationship.
“Are you married?” Lock asked. When the reporter said no, Lock followed up: “Did you have a girlfriend for a really long time?” The reporter said he had. “You know when she’s upset, she doesn’t have to say anything to you? I spent a lot of time with Sam, practice, watching every rep, games, watching every single rep. I just — I could tell,” Lock said.
Darnold’s rib injury happened on the second play of Monday’s game. The quad injury came later, on the Seahawks’ final drive of the loss.
Seattle coach Mike Macdonald praised Darnold for playing through the pain without drawing attention to it.
“So he’s playing the whole game without even making a thing of it and playing his tail off and competing,” Macdonald said. “I think it’s worth noting how tough this guy is. He’ll be back sooner than later, I’m sure.”
Macdonald said Darnold likely could have kept playing through the rib injury, but the quad injury is what’s keeping him out of Sunday’s lineup. The 29-year-old is considered week-to-week and will not be placed on injured reserve.
This is Lock’s second start of the year. He took over for an injured Darnold early in Week 1 and led Seattle past the New England Patriots. In his lone start last season against the Cardinals, Lock completed 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns. This season he’s 35-for-48 passing for 422 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Lock has been nursing a sore elbow over the past two weeks but is set to start Sunday. Jalen Milroe will back him up.
The 4-4 Seahawks face the 3-5 Cardinals at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, looking for their second win over Arizona this season, a push above .500, and ground in the NFC West race.
