Saturday's Update On Sam Darnold's Injury Is Incredibly Alarming

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jan 17, 2026 9:45 AM ET

Will the Seattle Seahawks have Sam Darnold available for their playoff showdown with the San Francisco 49ers? That's the No. 1 question being asked this Saturday.

Darnold has been a huge reason for Seattle's success this season, completing 67.7% of his passes for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. On Thursday, he was listed as questionable for the divisional round due to an oblique injury. The Seahawks said this injury occurred during a routes-on-air period.

Shortly after being listed as questionable, Darnold told reporters he plans on suiting up against the 49ers. That's not a huge surprise considering it's the biggest game of his career.

“Just didn’t want to push it,” Darnold told reporters. “Wasn’t the day to push it. So that was it. Just came inside, got some rehab, and I feel like I’ll be ready to go for Saturday.”

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images© Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images.

Despite his optimism, there's no guarantee Darnold will be allowed to play this weekend.

While on "SportsCenter" this Saturday morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed that Darnold hasn't thrown a pass since the injury popped up in Thursday.

Schefter acknowledged that Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald expects Darnold to play against the 49ers. However, the team isn't sure how Darnold's body will respond during warm-ups on Saturday night.

Who would start if Darnold can't?

The Seahawks have an experienced backup on their roster in Drew Lock. The former second-round pick has thrown for 6,369 yards with 34 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his NFL career.

“Drew has been very impressive throughout OTAs and training camp,” Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak told reporters. “He has started a lot of football games in this league. We got a lot of confidence in Drew.”

Lock received reps in practice with the first-team offense Thursday. Schefter said the Seahawks have prepared him for the start just in case Darnold can't go.

Judging by all these reports, Darnold appears to be a true game-time decision.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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