What to know about Drew Lock, the Seahawks backup QB replacing injured Sam Darnold

Economy World


Five plays into the 2026 regular season, Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Sam Darnold left the game against the New England Patriots with a hip injury and was later ruled out. Eighth-year quarterback Drew Lock took over for Darnold, marking his first extended NFL action in the regular season since 2024.

Lock hasn’t played much recently, getting in just five games last season and attempting three passes, completing two of them. However, before last season, Lock had started at least two games in five of his first six NFL seasons.

Lock entered the league out of Missouri in 2019 as a second-round pick of the Denver Broncos as the team was still trying to find their way in the post-Peyton Manning era. Lock injured his thumb just before the start of his rookie season, landing on injured reserve. He returned in late November and started five games for the Broncos, going 4-1. Lock’s biggest showing as a starting quarterback came in his second NFL season, when he started 13 games in 2020. The team wasn’t nearly as successful as the end of Lock’s rookie season, going 4-9 in his 13 starts.

Since 2021, Lock has been a backup. He began the 2021 season backing up Teddy Bridgewater in Denver, starting three games in relief. He was traded to the Seahawks in 2022 and backed up Geno Smith. He started two games for the Seahawks in 2023, going 1-1. He signed as a backup with the New York Giants in 2024 and started five games, going 1-4. He returned to the Seahawks in free agency last year and backed up Darnold.

Lock has played in 41 NFL games in the NFL before Wednesday. He has a 10-18 career record as a starter, completing just under 60 percent of his passes and tossing 34 touchdowns to 28 interceptions.

Lock’s two starts for Seattle in 2023 came while Smith dealt with a groin injury. The second of those was a Week 15 home game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Seahawks entered the game with a 6-7 record and their playoff hopes dwindling. With less than two minutes left in regulation, the Seahawks trailed by 4 points. Lock led the offense on 10-play, 92-yard drive, culminating with a touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith returned the following week as the starter.

The following season, Lock had his best statistical performance of his career in a start for the Giants. Lock threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns, resulting in a near-perfect 155.3 passer rating. He added a fifth touchdown on the ground as the Giants beat the Indianapolis Colts 45-33 in Week 17.

As the backup this season, Lock did get a decent amount of playing time over the past month in the preseason. In the exhibition opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Lock completed nine of his 13 pass attempts for 40 yards and a touchdown. In the second game against the Tennessee Titans, Lock completed 12 of 14 passes and threw a touchdown pass.