Sam Darnold is “striving” to be ready for the Seahawks’ Week 3 clash against the Washington Commanders, and honestly, Seattle, we gotta talk. Our Hawks are sitting pretty at a perfect 2-0, thanks to backup Drew Lock holding it down these past two weeks. But rushing our starting QB back now could seriously derail this early momentum and the good vibes flowing through the Emerald City. It’s a classic trap scenario if we aren’t careful.
Day by Day Isn’t Day One Ready
Head coach Mike Macdonald dropped the news on Wednesday, telling us Darnold would be practicing with the clear goal of ramping him up. The hope was to get a solid read by Friday on whether our starting signal-caller could actually hit the field. Soon after, we heard directly from Darnold himself. He confirmed he’s “striving” to play. But then he added the critical caveat: he’s “taking it day by day” and, crucially, not pushing himself “unnecessarily.” Those specific words, “taking it day by day,” tell you everything. As fans, we need to respect that subtle message, even if Darnold’s inner competitor wants him out there with the squad. We’ve got a long season ahead, and one healthy QB is better than two hobbled ones.
Why Caution Is The Only Play
Let’s be real for a second. The Commanders, while sitting at 0-2, are still going to be a tougher challenge than the Arizona Cardinals we handled so well. That much is clear. But here’s the unvarnished truth: our guys should absolutely still be able to take care of business, even if it means another game with Drew Lock guiding the offense. There is simply no justifiable reason to rush Darnold back into the fray for a team that’s still desperately searching for its first win. Not when you take one peek at the brutal gauntlet of games staring us down in the next few weeks. We’re talking about the division rival San Francisco 49ers and the always-tough Denver Broncos coming up on the schedule, two teams that will undeniably demand Sam Darnold be at his absolute peak physical and mental performance. You could even throw the LA Chargers into that mix as a game where we’ll need every ounce of our A-game from everyone, especially the QB. If Sam Darnold isn’t completely, unequivocally 100% healthy and ready to roll, with absolutely zero doubt in anyone’s mind, then we simply cannot risk his long-term health. Especially not in some subpar road stadium that certainly won’t be filled with the 12s’ energy.
This is a marathon, not a sprint, 12s. Our Week 3 game against the Commanders is important, yes, but protecting a fully healthy Sam Darnold for the duration of this season is what truly matters if we want to make some noise. Let’s let Drew Lock get another start, keep this thrilling win streak alive, and make sure Darnold is truly good to go before he steps back onto that field. Our season’s potential is too high to play fast and loose with our QB’s health right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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