The Seattle Seahawks may be questioning if Super Bowl winner Sam Darnold is still the right man for the job, just six weeks into his second season with the team. When the Los Angeles Rams face the Seahawks twice in the final three weeks of the season, will they be facing Darnold, backup Drew Lock, or someone entirely different?
Darnold threw two more interceptions during Thursday night’s loss to the Denver Broncos, giving him seven touchdowns and seven picks in four games this season; he missed the majority
of Week 1, as well as Week 2 with a hip injury. Darnold’s rapid fire pace of interceptions has many Seahawks fans asking to see Lock — who had four touchdowns and no picks in his two games — when Seattle returns to face the Chiefs next Sunday night.
However, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald addressed the “controversy” on Friday after the loss, stating that the team had no intention of making a change at quarterback any time soon.
Do we believe him?
Darnold revived his career
After a stint with Kyle Shanahan as a backup in 2023, Darnold went 14-3 with the Vikings in 2024, prior to losing to the Rams in the playoffs and getting sacked nine times in that game. Minnesota opted to let Darnold walk despite his career season and he signed a three-year, $100 million deal with Seattle.
The move paid immediate dividends as Darnold won the Super Bowl in 2025 with the Seahawks.
Darnold threw 14 interceptions and still had a turnover problem. However, Darnold didn’t throw any picks in the playoffs and he was exactly what the Seahawks needed for their Super Bowl winning campaign. It didn’t hurt that Seattle had a Super Bowl MVP running back in Kenneth Walker — who Seattle let walk in free agency — and arguably the best defense in the NFL, as well as the best special teams.
Walker is gone, special teams has been shaky at best, and the Seahawks have fumbled the ball 11 times in six games, including nine by running backs and Rashid Shaheed. Seattle is 3-3 and staring at the same long road to the playoffs as the Rams.
It’s early enough in the year that the Seahawks can turn this around, but will Darnold be a part of that turnaround?
Would the Seahawks benching Darnold actually allow for the turnaround they are looking for?
That turnaround being less interceptions, less turnovers.
Turnovers can be a part of Darnold’s game, he has 89 regular season interceptions in 105 games played. You could say the same about Matthew Stafford and plenty of great quarterbacks, interceptions can be a part of their process. You take the bad with the good.
However, Darnold isn’t making up for his picks with production. He’s thrown for over 1,000 yards, but his seven touchdowns match his seven interceptions. Not ideal.
While Darnold hasn’t been outplaying his mistakes in 2026, Drew Lock has four passing touchdowns with zero picks. Is Lock better than Darnold? Like anything, you can debate it, but probably not. Yet, Lock has been more efficient in 2026 than Darnold.
The clearest change for Seattle to better their team after six weeks? Whether it’s Darnold or Lock, get better quarterback play. And if Darnold can’t clean up his act, then Mike Macdonald and Seattle may have no choice but to go another direction.
Will that happen before Week 16?
Darnold should be given every chance to get right. Macdonald should do what all the best coaches do, and that’s whatever is best for his team. At a certain point, Macdonald won’t be able to sit back and let Darnold figure it out.
The Rams don’t face the Seahawks until December 25, then they play Seattle again two weeks later in the finale. If Darnold’s poor play keeps up, it’ll be fair to wonder who will be starting for the Seahawks by then, and what the future of Darnold and Seahawks looks like going forward.
Until then, Darnold will have to play better, or he’ll face whatever the consequences are if he doesn’t. Including not playing the Rams on Christmas.
