Seahawks Could Be Without Sam Darnold Two Weeks, and Drew Lock Starts Today
Sam Darnold is out vs. Arizona and in danger of missing Week 10 at the Raiders. What the Seahawks' bye, Drew Lock and today's line suggest.
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Key takeaways
- Sam Darnold is out Sunday against Arizona with a quad injury and a cracked rib, and is in danger of missing Week 10 at the Raiders, league sources told ESPN.
- Seattle has a bye after Week 10, so missing two games would give Darnold three weeks of rest before a Week 12 game at San Francisco.
- Drew Lock starts despite a right elbow injury, and ESPN notes Seattle's offensive production has not dropped when he replaced Darnold.
- DraftKings has Seattle at -8.5 with a 39.5 total, per ESPN's odds feed at 8:05 AM ET, and the Seahawks moneyline moved from -750 at the open to -440.
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Sam Darnold Out Against Arizona and in Doubt for Week 10
Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold is already ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cardinals with a quad injury and a cracked rib, and league sources told ESPN he is also in danger of missing the Week 10 game against the Raiders. ESPN reports he cracked the rib on the second play of Monday night's loss to the Bears, played through it, then hurt the quad later in the game.
The bye is part of the picture. By missing the next two games, ESPN reports, Darnold would get three weeks of rest before a divisional Week 12 game in San Francisco. Drew Lock starts today even though a right elbow injury kept him inactive for two games. He has been limited on all 12 Seahawks injury reports since Week 6, and coach Mike Macdonald called his managed practice reps "more precautionary than anything else."
In Week 2, Lock completed 73.1% of his passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Arizona when Darnold missed that game with a glute and hip injury, ESPN reported. Jalen Milroe, who has not played in a regular-season game since Week 5 last year, is the emergency third option.
Seahawks vs. Cardinals Odds: What the Market Did
Per ESPN's odds feed (DraftKings) at 8:05 AM ET on Sunday, Seattle is an 8.5-point home favorite with a total of 39.5. The feed carries an opening moneyline only, and it shows the Seahawks shortening from the open to now. The feed does not say why a line moved.
| Market | Opening | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle moneyline | -750 | -440 |
| Arizona moneyline | Not shown | +340 |
| Spread | Not shown | Seattle -8.5 |
| Total | Not shown | 39.5 |
Converting the moneylines to implied chances, with no adjustment for the sportsbook's margin, -750 is about 88% and -440 is about 81%. That is a drop of roughly six and a half points of implied probability.
Our Read: A Two-Game Absence Is Mostly a Rest Plan
- The calendar drives the story. With a bye right after Week 10, sitting Darnold twice costs one extra game and buys three weeks. Our reading is that Seattle is protecting a cracked rib, not signaling a deeper problem.
- Lock is a known quantity. ESPN's note that production has not dropped with Lock is the key fact, but it rests on one start with a clean elbow. We would not read a single game as proof.
- The market may be pricing the injury news. A shorter moneyline fits a backup starting, though the feed does not say why it moved and Seattle is still a heavy favorite over a 3-5 team that is 0-3 at home.
- The evidence points both ways on Lock. His elbow is the open question: he was limited all season in practice, so a rough first half today would change the Week 10 conversation.
What to Watch for Seattle at Las Vegas
- How Lock throws in the first half, and whether Milroe is active as a real backup.
- Whether Darnold is listed as a full practice participant when the Week 10 injury report opens.
- How the Raiders line opens if Lock is named the starter again.
- Seattle's Week 12 status at San Francisco, where the rest plan is aimed.
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