Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks will host the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday in the divisional round. The Seahawks earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC — and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs — after finishing the season with a 14-3 record.
Darnold was Seattle’s driving force in 2025, registering 323-of-477 completed passes (67.7%) for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, adding 95 yards on the ground.
Darnold, however, suffered an injury heading into Saturday’s matchup. The reigning PFWA Most Improved Player sustained an oblique injury at practice on Thursday, casting doubt on his availability against the 49ers.
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Darnold spoke to the press on Thursday after practice. The 28-year-old was adamant that he would play in the divisional round, saying there’s only a “very low percentage” that he would be forced to sit out.
On Friday, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald shared an update on his star quarterback. While the team remains optimistic on Darnold’s status against the 49ers, Macdonald acknowledged that there is no guarantee the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback will play.
“We’re really optimistic he’s going to be able to play,” Macdonald said, via NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk. “Right now we’re going through all the protocol, one, just out of caution to make sure we’re ready to go, and we’ll test it out tomorrow, kind of make the final decision.
“We’re optimistic he’s going to play. If he doesn’t or at some point he doesn’t, Drew [Lock] is ready to go. That’s why Drew is here. He’s doing a great job.”
Macdonald added that he knows Darnold is “confident he’s going to be able to go do his thing at 100 [percent].” However, the Seahawks coach also conceded that it’s a “possibility” that Darnold is sidelined for the game.
As Macdonald stated, backup QB Drew Lock will start if Darnold is unable to play. The 29-year-old has not played much for Seattle this season. He’s made five brief appearances, logging 2-of-3 completed passes for 15 yards.
The 49ers will travel to Seattle for Saturday’s matchup. Kickoff from Lumen Field is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET, with Fox Sports providing the broadcast for the game.