Darnold set to return to Seahawks practice Wednesday, Macdonald says

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  Brady HendersonSep 21, 2026, 07:35 PM ET

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  Brady Henderson is a reporter for NFL Nation and covers the Seattle Seahawks for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2017 after covering the team for Seattle Sports 710-AM.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is set to return to practice Wednesday after missing most of the team's first two games because of a glute injury, coach Mike Macdonald said Monday.

"Right now, the plan is for him to be out there in some capacity, and we'll go from there," Macdonald said. "How much, we'll see from here to Wednesday on what that number is. But right now, that's the goal."

Earlier Monday, on his Seattle Sports 710-AM radio show, Macdonald said "there is a chance" that Darnold will play this week against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium.

Darnold went down on the fifth play of the Seahawks' Sept. 9 opener and did not practice last week. After the Seahawks improved to 2-0 with a 31-7 win Sunday over the Arizona Cardinals, Macdonald said Darnold is ahead of schedule and that his timetable for returning has "shifted quite drastically" for the better.

Since replacing Darnold, backup Drew Lock has completed nearly 73% of his passes while throwing four touchdown passes with zero turnovers. Lock's Total QBR of 86.4 is fourth-best among all quarterbacks through two weeks.

Asked about Lock's play, Macdonald indicated that it won't factor into the team's decision on whether Darnold starts Sunday, saying, "If Sam can play, he's going to play."

In other Seahawks injury news, Macdonald said rookie running back Jadarian Price's shoulder injury does not appear to be serious. The team's first-round pick left late in the third quarter Sunday and did not return.

"It's something we'll monitor throughout the week," Macdonald said. "Shouldn't be a long-term thing."

Price started each of the first two games while Zach Charbonnet -- Seattle's co-starter last season -- continues to work his way back from February ACL surgery. Charbonnet has to miss at least the next two games while on the physically unable to perform list, but a new PUP rule this year would allow the Seahawks to open his 21-day practice window Wednesday. Macdonald said they are still working through that possibility.