Macdonald Confirms the Comeback
Sam Darnold is starting Sunday. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald confirmed Friday that his quarterback has been cleared after progressing from limited work Wednesday to full practice participation the past two days. “Sam’s gonna play, and he’s ready to go,” Macdonald said. “He’s done a great job.”
Darnold went down on Seattle’s opening possession of a 13-10 Week 1 win over New England, completing just 1 of 2 passes for 13 yards before leaving with what turned into a glute injury. Testing at the time ruled out a more serious hip problem, but the early uncertainty left even Darnold unsettled about his season.
Try it for $0.99.
Two Weeks That Eased the Fear
Darnold admitted Thursday that the initial scare had him worried about both the rest of his year and any lasting effects. Two weeks of rehab and practice reps changed that calculus considerably. “He looks great, so we’re rolling,” Macdonald said. “It’s a medical miracle he’s back.”
Drew Lock filled in without missing a beat, going 2-0 as the starter including last week’s 31-7 rout of Arizona, and pushed the defending Super Bowl champions to 2-0 on the season. Darnold reclaims a job he made his own in his first year in Seattle, when he threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns across all 17 games on the way to Super Bowl LX.
A Thinner Secondary in Washington
Getting its quarterback back comes with a cost elsewhere. Starting safeties Julian Love and Ty Okada have both been ruled out for Sunday, Love with a calf injury suffered in Thursday’s practice and Okada still nursing a hamstring issue. Seattle will need its offense sharp early against a Commanders defense that will know exactly which unit to attack.
Discover the rest of our NFL news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply