Seahawks Not Considering QB Change

Turnovers were the primary culprit. Seattle lost a fumble while quarterback Sam Darnold was intercepted twice (late in the fourth quarter and during the team’s possession in overtime). That marked a continuation of the veteran quarterback’s ball security issues this season. Darnold is still safe atop the QB depth chart, however.

“I think we have a lot of faith in Sam,” head coach Mike Macdonald said on Friday (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “Sam’s played great football for us. He’s done a lot of great things this year but obviously turned the ball over more than we want to. I feel like there’s things on our end that can help him play better football, and I think he’s definitely part of the solution rather than the opposite.”

Darnold threw 14 interceptions while fumbling 11 times during his debut campaign in the Emerald City. Seattle’s title-winning run included turnover-free play in the postseason, but that stretch has not been replicated early in 2026. Darnold has already been picked off seven times despite playing fewer than five full games. A glute injury resulted in Drew Lock briefly handling QB1 duties, and the possibility of Lock returning to the starting role has been raised in the wake of Darnold’s struggles.

Macdonald’s comments confirm no such switch is taking place at this time. Darnold has taken a total of 14 sacks in 2026, an issue which is of course partially a symptom of underwhelming play up front. Seattle’s rushing attack has also struggled early in the year. The loss of running back Kenneth Walker has been acutely felt, while the absence of first-round rookie Jadarian Price has exacerbated the matter. Zach Charbonnet should be available shortly, and the team will aim for better offensive balance once he is activated from the reserve/PUP list.

Darnold is under contract through 2027, although none of his compensation for that year is guaranteed at this point. The 29-year-old is due a $10MM roster bonus in March, while an extension aimed at lowering his $44.9MM cap charge could be pursued. Improved play will likely be necessary for the Seahawks to make another financial commitment in this case, but Darnold will have the opportunity to achieve that goal moving forward.