NFL playoffs: Sam Darnold added to injury report ahead of Divisional Round
NFL playoffs: Sam Darnold added to injury report ahead of Divisional Round
That’s a sign they are waiting until closer to game time for him to test his oblique injury throwing—or already have and they’ve made their call on Darnold
Drew Lock got some reps with the 1s today because of Sam’s injury.
Update (Saturday afternoon): Sam Darnold is officially active for tonight’s game against the 49ers, but he was not seen on the field during pre-game workouts as Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe took the snaps:
Still just Lock and Milroe warming up. pic.twitter.com/yDs5z1PDSZ
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) January 17, 2026
Milroe is inactive as the emergency quarterback:
Sam Darnold is active to play tonight for the #Seahawks. Jalen Milroe again inactive as the emergency third quarterback.
That’s a sign they are waiting until closer to game time for him to test his oblique injury throwing—or already have and they’ve made their call on Darnold
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) January 17, 2026
Update (Saturday morning): Word out of Seattle remains ominous just hours ahead of the Seahawks taking the field for the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers.
According to Adam Schefter, Sam Darnold has not thrown a football since injuring his oblique on Thursday. Seattle believes Darnold will be ready to play tonight, but do not know that for sure.
Drew Lock will get the start if Darnold cannot go:
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold hasn’t thrown a football since he hurt his oblique Thursday. The Seahawks believe, but don’t know, that he will be OK to start tonight’s game vs. the 49ers. Backup QB Drew Lock took the reps the past two days and is ready if needed. pic.twitter.com/ICznfipJJC
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2026
Previous: The Seattle Seahawks secured the top seed in the NFC and enjoyed a bye week before the Divisional Round, where they will take on the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.
But they suddenly have an injury situation to navigate.
Starting quarterback Sam Darnold popped up on the injury report Thursday, as he was listed with an oblique injury and designated as questionable for Saturday’s game against the 49ers:
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was added to the injury report Thursday with an oblique injury and is questionable for Saturday's divisional round game against the 49ers.
— John Boyle (@johnpboyle) January 15, 2026
Darnold is not alone, as tackle Josh Jones has already been ruled out.
While Darnold did practice on Thursday, backup quarterback Drew Lock did see the field as well, practicing with the first time.
Speaking with the media after the practice, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak deferred all questions about Darnold’s status to head coach Mike Macdonald, who is set to speak with the media on Friday:
When asked how Sam Darnold (oblique) looked in practice today, Klint Kubiak says he’ll defer all injury questions to Mike Macdonald, who will speak tomorrow.
Drew Lock got some reps with the 1s today because of Sam’s injury.
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) January 15, 2026
These two teams met back in Week 18, with the Seahawks clinching both the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 13-3 win. Darnold has started every game for Seattle this season.
Update (Thursday afternoon): Darnold spoke with the media after practice and noted that while he felt something at the start of practice, he put the odds of him not playing Saturday at “closer to zero:”
Sam Darnold told reporters after practice that he felt something in his side while throwing on air. Asked what percentage he may not play: “Very low percentage. Closer to zero." https://t.co/QKtzdy1QwY
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 15, 2026
