Drew Lock is the starting quarterback for the Seahawks this week. Heading into Sunday's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, Lock and the rest of the offense have been preparing with that in mind.
Last week, Lock replaced Darnold, who left the game with what initially thought to be a hip injury, but, after testing and imaging, was determined to be a gluteal muscle injury. Lock helped the Seahawks to a win and instead of being thrown into a situation unexpectedly, he's going through the flow of the week with QB1 in mind.
"I'm sweating by 11 o'clock instead of 2 o'clock, that's the difference," Lock joked during a Thursday press conference. "I'm attacking this week, it's not the same because I'm going out and doing more in practice and ACTs but with the same mindset as I would if I wasn't playing, for the rare occasion last week where I was. Stand out on all third downs, redzones, install, first and second down on Wednesdays. By the time we get to Friday night or Saturday, don't forget about the first- and second-down plays because you start focusing on third down and redzone. I've been through this process enough, I've got my schedule down and I'm sticking by it."
He added, "There's got to be stuff you do after. It can't just be the practice ends and you walk off. We have to get guys together after, we have to throw a little bit. We have to run through all the third downs again after practice, talk those through. Going into each period whether it's a team pass, a team run or whatever it is."
That extra work and conversations, between Lock and the offense, after practice are what are going to make the flow of Sunday's game more seamless.
"There's an element of being in the huddle and understanding the cadence of how Drew (Lock) wants to get the play from Brian (Fleury) to us," receiver Cooper Kupp said. "How does he want to communicate to us in the huddle? Guys just being locked in, and then ultimately, being so fragile and malleable to the point of being able to get what you need out of these things. Make sure there's communication also going back up the chain in terms of 'Hey, these cadences are good, they're jumping the snap count and things like that.' There's a lot of communication that goes back and forth. I think it's really during the week, guys being on top of it. Guys not just sitting there and be like 'Oh, this is different.' It's about being able to say, 'Okay how can we make sure that by Sunday, we're all on the same page, and operating the way we want to."
That schedule, which Lock mentioned, includes seeking out advice from Darnold, who is still around the building and in every meeting.
"I've been leaning on him heavy with some of the minor things that he would take care of during the week that after a little bit I need a reminder of," Lock said. "Just certain things. He's been fantastic. He's been around and he has not stopped working."
The Seahawks as a whole pride themselves on everyone on the roster being starter-ready, no matter their place on the roster. That shows up in the way head coach Mike Macdonald and general manager/president of football operations John Schneider refer to the practice squad. It's not just a practice squad, but rather the Ready Squad full of people that can take the field if called upon. It also shows up in the way Seattle operates day-to-day in their position rooms.
"I think the quarterbacks here have done an unbelievable job in terms of there's not a whole lot of conversations that happen with Sam (Darnold) that Drew (Lock) is not right there having the same conversation," Kupp said. "Those guys work so well together. Just like Drew has always been in Sam's back pocket in terms of bouncing things off each other and collaborating together. Sam's going to be that same exact thing for Drew this week. There's going to be some carryover just from that side of things. The times that we've had conversating about these things and him seeing things the way that we do at wide receiver, and then it's just about making sure we're dialing in and that there's a great intent during the week here to make sure we're maximizing our time. The time at practice hopefully you're not just standing on the side, you're over there talking through what's coming up or what you saw to make sure we're on the same page come Sunday."
The full week will be "very valuable" for Lock to go through the flow, the practices and process for preparing to start a game.
"You're talking about a ton of reps between walk-throughs, practices and things like that," he said. "There's a lot of opportunity to ultimately just go out there and play. On one side of it, he has the opportunity to go out there each week and just let it rip. There's no time to be thinking because you're out here going. I think having the opportunity to prepare hopefully allows anything that he would've carried out there with him that he felt slow on or that he felt like he was a little behind on, to give him the opportunity to play completely free and let it rip the way he was."
Many of the players around the locker room haven't batted an eye at the fact that Lock will be starting but instead have shown confidence in the role he will have to fill.
"We all have faith in Drew (Lock)," Leonard Williams said. "We believe that he's the best second-string quarterback in the league. Since I've been here, before he went to the Giants, he stepped up big time. I remember that Eagles game a few years back where he stepped up and won us the game. He's done it and shown it multiple times now. That has instilled a lot of trust in his teammates and his team."
Lock led a Monday night win over the Eagles in 2023 at Lumen Field. After being down for almost the entire game, Seattle's win that evening was thanks to a fourth quarter surge that ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass by Lock.
"Drew's a proven, really good player in this league," Macdonald said. "When he has started, he's played really good football, then when he's been on our team, since I've seen him play in person, he's a heck of a player here. Heck of a guy, heck of a teammate. He's got a great balance about him of being a true professional, but also, he's a loose and focused guy, he's a warrior in the garden. All the things we want from our players, he's that at the quarterback position."
Williams added, "He has a little bit of swagger to him. He's confident, he's ready for the moment. When it's time for him to be called up, there's no lag, there's no hesitation. He's ready for it. It's cool to see because I can't imagine what it's like to be in that position as a backup quarterback. You may not see the field all season but at any moment you have to be ready to go in there and operate and lead the offense. He does a great job of that, not skipping a beat."
The Seahawks continued their week of practices on Thursday, September 17 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi (55) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Rodney Thomas II (24) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20), wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) and long snapper Chris Stoll (41) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Trevon Diggs (16) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Julian Neal (1) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Rodney Thomas II (24) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Michael Dansby (37) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (23) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole (57) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Aidan Hubbard (93) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Brandon Pili (95) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (84) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Velus Jones Jr. (33) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Velus Jones Jr. (33) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (23) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. (87) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Velus Jones Jr. (33) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
The Seahawks practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76) practiced on September 17, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
