3 Seahawks With the Most to Prove vs. Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald watches play against the Kansas City Chiefs. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3 Seahawks With the Most to Prove vs. Cardinals

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 16, 2026 1:30 PM ET

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The Seattle Seahawks are preparing for their Week 2 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, which will break their first-place tie in the NFC West.

The Seahawks picked up a win in their season opener against the New England Patriots , while the Arizona Cardinals stunned the Los Angeles Chargers on the road. Even though both teams are coming off big wins, they still have a lot to work toward going into Week 2. Here are three players with the most to prove in their Week 2 matchup:

QB Drew Lock

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Lock is a lock for this list because he is expected to make his first start for the Seahawks since the 2023 season, as Sam Darnold nurses a hip injury. Lock did his best in relief against the Patriots, but he only drummed up 13 points. It was enough for the Seahawks to claim victory, but the team likely would want a better performance from him in his first full start.

Lock completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown, which was enough to beat the Patriots because the defense held them to just 10 points and forced three interceptions in the fourth quarter. Getting a little more support from the offense would certainly be welcomed.

RB George Holani

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The Seahawks want to have a running back committee, but they need Holani to act more like a backup running back. He ran the ball 8 times for 29 yards in the game against the Patriots, but it was clear how different his skill set is from that of first-round pick Jadarian Price.

The Seahawks want to preserve Price over the course of the season, but they need players like Holani to step up in order to make that possible. The Seahawks believe in Holani as the second-best running back available, with Zach Charbonnet on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Holani is going to have to step up from his Week 1 performance if he wants to continue getting carries. Emanuel Wilson was also active, and he could take his spot in the depth chart if he continues to struggle.

LB Ernest Jones IV

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Jones was the defensive starter with the worst grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 1 against the Patriots. While he managed to come up with a team-high 11 tackles, he only managed a 45.1 defensive grade. He has room for improvement, specifically in coverage, after allowing four catches for 43 yards.

As the leader of the defense and given his previous track record, there is a good chance that he can bounce back. The Seahawks need him to be their leader both on and off the field, and there is reason to believe that he can get that done.