Sam Darnold is officially out for Sunday’s Week 9 showdown against the Cardinals, sidelined with a quad injury that’s gonna keep him off the field for a bit. But before you even *think* about hitting the panic button, let’s talk about who is stepping up: Drew Lock, our man, is ready to take the reins.
The Carousel Continues Under Center
Look, it’s Week 9 and already we’re seeing quarterback changes across the league. For our Hawks, it means head coach Mike MacDonald has to adjust after Darnold was ruled out. Good news, though: Coach MacDonald says Darnold’s quad isn’t a long-term thing. He’s week-to-week, not hitting IR, and has a shot to be back by Week 10 before our Week 11 bye. That’s a relief! The wrinkle? Drew Lock himself has been nursing an elbow injury that kept him inactive for the last two games. But word from practice via Gregg Bell on 933KJR is Lock was throwing today, something he hadn’t done much of recently, next to new fourth QB Adrian Martinez. He’s “on track” to start against Arizona.
This isn’t Lock’s first rodeo as the starter this season, either. Darnold got dinged early in Week 1, and Lock filled in, missing the following game which was *also* against the Cardinals. So, yeah, déjà vu much?
Lock’s Got This, Seattle
Seriously, if you had to pick a backup QB in the entire NFL to step in right now, Drew Lock has a strong case for being the best. Remember those early games? Over Weeks 1 and 2, Lock went off for 422 passing yards, dropped four touchdowns, and, crucially, threw ZERO interceptions. And guess what? Both those games were WINS for our Hawks against the Patriots and those same Cardinals. That’s not just “good for a backup” numbers, that’s “let’s go win this game” production!
The vibe around the team is that Lock can run this offense at basically the same level as Darnold. That’s why we’re still significant favorites against Arizona this Sunday. There’s zero concern about Darnold’s long-term health, which is huge, and unless Lock’s elbow suddenly acts up, forcing Jalen Milroe into his first career start, we’re totally fine for the next few weeks. Lock has already proven himself, and that’s exactly why the Emerald City faithful can chill out. We’ve got a proven leader stepping up.
So, get ready for Sunday, 12s! It’s Lock leading the charge against the Arizona Cardinals. We know he can do it, he’s shown us already. Let’s keep that winning momentum going and welcome Sam Darnold back after the bye week with an even better record. Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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