A Monday night loss to Chicago dropped the defending Super Bowl champs to 4-4, and it may have cost them their quarterback for more than one game.
Sam Darnold is sidelined for the Seattle Seahawks’ Week 9 meeting with the Arizona Cardinals, and with the Hawks already searching for answers on offense, the length of his absence has fans in the PNW feeling... sleepless.
So, when will Sam Darnold return?
Here is everything we know about Sam Darnold’s injury and return timeline.
Sam Darnold injury status
Update (Nov. 5): Mike Macdonald confirmed Wednesday that Darnold will miss Sunday’s game with a quad injury. He is considered week-to-week and is not headed to IR.
The quad issue popped up late in the Seattle Seahawks' 34-17 loss to the Bears. According to Macdonald, Sam Darnold had already cracked a rib on the second play of the game and kept playing through it, completing 17-of-34 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Macdonald said Darnold will continue throwing this week while the team monitors his workload, which leaves a Week 10 return on the table.
The injury lands at an awkward moment for the veteran. Darnold has been struggling immensely, sporting a 79.5 passer rating and a 10:9 INT-TD ratio since coming back in Week 3, and each of Seattle’s four losses have come with him as the starter.
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Sam Darnold injury history
| Date | Team | Injury | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 2021 |
 CAR |
Right shoulder blade (incomplete fracture) | Placed on IR Nov. 12 Missed 6 games |
| Aug. 26, 2022 |
CAR |
High ankle sprain | Back at practice Oct. 19, 2022 Missed first 6 games (IR) |
| Sept. 2024 |  MIN |
Knee (clean MRI) | No games missed Left for one play |
| Sept. 9, 2026 |
 SEA |
Glute (initially reported as hip) | Week 3 Missed Week 2 |
| Nov. 2, 2026 |
SEA |
Cracked rib/quad | Out for Week 9 Week to week |
Seahawks QB outlook: Drew Lock gets the nod
Drew Lock will make his second start of the year on Sunday, though he is nursing an elbow issue of his own.
His first start came in Week 2, when Darnold missed time with the glute injury, and it went about as well as Seattle could have hoped. Lock carved up this same Arizona defense for 235 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-26 passing.
That leaves former Alabama standout Jalen Milroe as QB, while the Seahawks added depth on Wednesday as well, signing Adrian Martinez to the practice squad.
The Cardinals have their own change under center, with Jacoby Brissett dealt to Baltimore and Gardner Minshew set to make his first start of the season.
How Darnold’s absence moves the odds
On Kalshi, the Seahawks currently have a 78% implied win probability, down from 85% before the Darned was announced out for Week 9. You can track every market in our NFL Week 9 odds
Lock should benefit from another matchup against Arizona, whose defense ranks 31st in opposing passer rating (110.4) and allows a league-worst 29.8 points per game, especially with Seattle's running game remaining virtually nonexistent.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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