Drew Lock news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Seahawks backup Drew Lock replaced injured Sam Darnold in Seattle's 2026 season opener and led a.
Lock's relief performance revives the question of whether he should start if Darnold misses.
Background
Darnold, the Seahawks' starting quarterback, was injured on Seattle's first drive of the 2026 NFL kickoff game when he was sacked by New England's Dre'Mont Jones and left with a hip injury. Lock, an eighth-year veteran who has been a backup since 2021 and returned to Seattle in 2025, took over and helped the Seahawks win. Coach Mike Macdonald later said the team received "great news" that Darnold has no fracture, though more testing is needed.
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2026On the Seahawks' first drive against the Patriots, Sam Darnold is sacked by Dre'Mont Jones and leaves with a hip injury; Drew Lock enters at quarterback.
- Sep 9, 2026Lock leads Seattle to a comeback win over New England in the season opener.
- Sep 10, 2026Coach Mike Macdonald says the team got "great news" that Darnold has no fracture in his hip, but more testing is required and his full status is unknown.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Sports Illustrated's Michael Hanich argued Lock deserves to be the Seahawks' starting quarterback after the Patriots win.
- Team
- The Seahawks' official site said Lock "did a phenomenal job" leading the offense in the Week 1 win.
- Caution
- The Athletic notes Darnold's injury extent is not yet fully known and Lock could be back in action in Week 2 against the Cardinals.
Still unverified
A Yahoo Sports/ClutchPoints report, citing NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, says the Seahawks were preparing for Lock to replace Darnold during the previous season's playoffs due to a significant oblique injury; this is a single-source report and has not been independently confirmed here.