Sam Darnold started every regular-season game, clinched the NFC No. 1 seed, and made it to the Pro Bowl. But just a couple of days before the Seattle Seahawks face the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, he surprisingly entered the injury report with an oblique injury. And ahead of Saturday’s matchup, the bigger question is: how confident are the Seahawks in Darnold starting the game?

That’s where things start to get a little tricky. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak revealed that Drew Lock has been getting some first-team reps, which immediately raised eyebrows. When asked whether those reps were something new, Kubiak downplayed it at first. “No, he’s gotten, you split them throughout the year,” the OC said. Fair enough. But when the follow-up zeroed in on this week specifically, the tone shifted slightly.

“Yes,” Kubiak added, “mostly in the walkthroughs.”

It doesn’t necessarily mean the Seahawks are moving away from Darnold. But it does suggest they’re at least preparing for the possibility that he might not be at his 100 percent… or might not be able to go at all. The detail matters.

Darnold’s injury reportedly surfaced during Thursday’s practice, when the 28-year-old felt discomfort on the left side of his oblique.

And given the stakes of a divisional-round game, the decision to limit his workload makes sense. Still, it leads to the inevitable follow-up: if Seattle does have to sit him, can the offense function with Lock under center? Kubiak has consistently spoken highly of Lock dating back to OTAs and training camp.

“Drew’s been really impressive throughout OTAs and training camp and in his role. Started a lot of football games, 28 games in the league. Lot of confidence in Drew. Brought him here for a reason.”

Lock, now 29, is a former second-round pick who has appeared in 41 NFL games, starting 28 of them across seven seasons. During the 2025 regular season, he saw limited action: just five games, where he completed 2-of-3 passes for 15 yards.

It is quite surprising to know that Lock has never played in an NFL postseason or playoff game. He has been in the league since 2019. If Seattle can’t get Darnold back to full strength, it will be Lock who potentially starts for the team.

All things considered, it’s unsettling, not just for the Seahawks but for fans as well. The lone reassurance is that despite landing on the injury report, Darnold remains confident he’ll be able to suit up against the 49ers on Saturday.

Sam Darnold sounds optimistic for the 49ers matchup

While Sam Darnold has been listed as questionable to lead the offense against the 49ers on Saturday, the 28-year-old quarterback didn’t seem too concerned. In fact, he pushed back on the uncertainty and was pretty clear on his availability. The issue surfaced during a light portion of practice, according to Darnold himself.

“Just in routes on air, just kind of felt a little something in my oblique, just didn’t want to push it,” Darnold said this week. “So, just came inside, got some rehab. And, you know, feel like I’ll be ready to go for Saturday.”

And when asked what the chances of him sitting out are, Darnold said, “Very low percentage. Probably closer to zero.” For now, the Seahawks haven’t made any formal announcement regarding his status, and they likely won’t until game day. Given how this season has unfolded, that’s not surprising. If there’s a way for Darnold to play, Seattle would clearly prefer it.

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After all, in his first year with the Seahawks, Darnold has been a major driver behind their success under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald.

He threw for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, helping guide Seattle to a 14–3 record and the NFC’s No. 1 seed. That context is what makes the injury situation feel slightly uneasy. Darnold believes he’ll be ready. The team is staying quiet. Whether he ultimately takes the field remains one of the biggest storylines heading into Saturday.