Mike Macdonald says Sam Darnold is 'on a good track' to return from his glute injury

Sep 24, 2026 at 9:26 am ET • 1 min read

The Seattle Seahawks could be on the verge of getting their starting quarterback back in the lineup. Sam Darnold has missed most of the first two weeks of the season due to a glute injury, but he returned to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday and head coach Mike Macdonald said that Darnold is getting close to making a return.

"I don't know what 'fully healthy' means," Macdonald said when asked whether Darnold is fully healthy, per ESPN.com. "I think we'll make a decision at some point before Friday's over. I don't think we'd go into the weekend not knowing if he's going to play. But it's on a good track right now, assuming today goes well."

It at first seemed as though Darnold might miss extended time with the injury, but the healing process has apparently gone better than expected. It's entirely possible that he misses only one week of action and returns this Sunday against the Commanders. 

Watching Darnold's practice status over the next couple of days will be important. If he's able to upgrade to full participation on Thursday or Friday, that would have to be considered a good sign for his potential availability. If not, then the Seahawks might wait another week.

In Darnold's absence, backup Drew Lock has taken the snaps from under center. He's been excellent, completing 35 of 48 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Seahawks to a 2-0 start in games against the Patriots and Cardinals. Macdonald was also asked if Lock's strong play allowed the Seahawks to be conservative with Darnold's return-to-play timeline. 

"If it was something where he was at risk of getting worse over the normal risk you take by taking the field, that might be part of the conversation," Macdonald said. "But really it's a function at this point of does he feel good enough to play."