Quarterback Sam Darnold has thrown seven interceptions in his last four games, and that comes after leading the NFL in turnovers last season. He won a Super Bowl last year, but he isn't playing well enough to be a QB1 currently. Seattle isn't benching Darnold, though.
Head coach Mike Macdonald said as much in his post-game press conference after Seattle lost to the Denver Broncos in Week 6, a game in which Darnold threw two late interceptions, including one in overtime that led directly to Denver winning the game. Should Seattle replace Darnold with backup Drew Lock? Not really, because that creates another problem.
The truth is that Seattle has nowhere else to go. The team is stuck with Darnold as the starter this season and likely next season too. Lock was good in the first two games of this season, while Darnold sat out due to a glute injury, because Lock has never shown he can be counted on as a long-term QB1.
Seattle Seahawks won't be benching Sam Darnold, but...
Putting Lock in causes friction within the locker room because a lot of the players were on the team last season when Darnold was one of the big reasons the team won a title. Players don't forget such things easily, and maybe they never do.
Darnold has no replacement on the current team, and Seattle is going to be in no position to replace him before 2027 either. The Seahawks will be too good to choose high in the draft next year, and no quarterback will be available who should obviously be a Week 1 starter. Seattle could choose a QB in hopes they will turn into a starter, but they won't take Darnold's spot immediately.
Free agency isn't a real option, either. The list of potentially available free agents next year includes Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields, and others of the same ilk. No one is obviously capable of taking Darnold's spot and then remaining in the position for many years to come.
The Seattle Seahawks have a good roster, of course, especially defensively. Their championship window will only be open for so long, though. Some key players, such as Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jarran Reed, and Cooper Kupp, are well past 30 years old and won't be playing a lot longer.
That implies the team is going to need to do a bit of a retool sooner rather than later, but none of that matters if Sam Darnold's play continues to let the team down. The Catch-22 is that while Seattle might continue to find great fits for its defensive scheme, it might not be able to do so at the position that can let the team down the most.
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