Drew Lock must be a likable person. He has been with the Seattle Seahawks in two different stints, hasn't gotten a chance to be the long-term starter, but even when he has to replace the QB1, they continue to hope he does well. Some quarterbacks might not.
It only takes a couple of great games by Lock for him to Wally Pipp someone. He's got a good arm and solid mobility, and he probably could be a starter for some team. That is just never going to happen with the Seahawks because Sam Darnold is probably around to stay in Seattle for a long time.
But Lock is a good enough human being that he knows it's perfectly fine to be extremely excited when another person who holds the job he wants does well. That also gives fans an indication of the kind of person Darnold is. Lock hasn't just known Seattle's starting quarterback for this year; he's known him for a long time.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock couldn't be happier for Sam Darnold
To finally be on a team with Darnold clearly means something to Lock. In fact, the entire quarterback group appears to get along well, including rookie Jalen Milroe. They win together, and they lose together, even though Sam Darnold is the one getting almost all the snaps.
If there was never any doubt how Drew Lock felt about Sam Darnold, he put any worries to rest speaking to ESPN reporter Kalyn Kahler after the Seahawks had defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game. Instead of a curt answer, Lock elaborated with ease about his happiness for Darnold.
"I'll say this, I'm 100 percent not surprised at all...Lack of better words, he is very very very good at his job," Lock said. "He's a competitor, he studies like no other, so smart. Couple that with throws that we all eventually get to see. He's outstanding. He's a great leader for this team, he cares so much, (and) he's resilient...Many years back, a long time ago, somehow we get to be together in the quarterback room...you feel for another quarterback. To see him get hurt, you know how much it means to him. You know how much winning a game like this will mean to him. If the shoes were flipped, I know how much it would mean to me. I'm just really proud of him."
Instead of a fellow player, Lock sounds like a slightly older brother (he is 29 and Darnold is 28) who couldn't be happier than watching his younger brother do things no one expected him to do. After all, many people (likely, most people) assumed Darnold would fail the Seahawks in the biggest games. He didn't.
Instead, in the biggest game of his career, and the biggest game of many of his teammates, the quarterback was fantastic. He threw three touchdown passes and didn't have a turnover, matching future Pro Football Hall of Famer Matthew Stafford throw for throw. In fact, if and when the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl in two weeks, Sam Darnold will be a major reason why.