The Seattle Seahawks have started the 2026 season as they left off last season. The team is winning games (12 in a row now) and getting high-end play from its quarterback. The surprise is that the play is coming from backup Drew Lock instead of Sam Darnold.
Darnold injured a glute muscle in the first quarter of Week 1, and since he left, Seattle's offense hasn't really missed a beat. Lock has been terrific in Darnold's absence.
Seattle defeated the Arizona Cardinals 31-7 in Week 2, and Lock was so good that he likely could be another team's starter. That won't happen this season, of course, but next year, Lock is a free agent. 12s might want to enjoy his play now because he could be elsewhere next season.
Drew Lock was amazing for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2
Drew Lock might not play another down in 2026 and make a lot of money
The latest rumors have starting quarterback Sam Darnold potentially returning for Week 3 against the Washington Commanders, though he still has to practice and prove he is fully healthy to play. Seattle isn't going to put him on the field just because he is QB1.
Should he miss his second straight game, Lock has played at a high enough level that fans and the team could breathe easily, knowing he is a quality temporary starter. He obviously isn't going to take Darnold's job, and if Darnold returns, Lock won't play.
The QB is a free agent in 2027, though, and he should have prospective suitors for his services. Some team needs to give him a real chance to start, and he could be a valuable long-term option.
Drew Lock's statistics were a lie (they were actually better)
Lock threw 26 passes, completed 19 of them for 235 yards and three touchdowns. He didn't have a turnover, which is arguably the best part of his performance in the last two weeks. But his statistics could have been better because he had three passes that were on target but were dropped.
One throw to Rashid Shaheed would have been a clear first down, and another to Jaxon Smith-Njigba might have been. Lock could have had closer to 270 passing yards, and he didn't put any passes in harm's way.
Poised and smart: That was how Lock played
At no point in Week 1 or Week 2 did Lock look shaky. If no one had watched the Seattle Seahawks play recently and tuned in to the game against the Cardinals, that person might have rightly assumed that Lock was the long-term starter. He has a laid-back personality, and he obviously doesn't get rattled.
That helps his team believe in him, of course. If the quarterback is nervous, then the team is going to be nervous, but Lock's personality is that of a leader. The trust in him is real, and he is proving it through his play on the field.
Forget the hate, Lock might be the best backup quarterback in the NFL
Backup quarterbacks are, by nature, an odd sort. They need to be good, while the team hopes they never have to play. Many general football fans might see Drew Lock's name and assume he will be poor. That is because the narrative about him was born with the Denver Broncos, where he had a terrible offensive coordinator, and then he didn't get a chance to start with the New York Giants.
12s can attest to how good Lock is after the first two games of the season, however. He has helped lead the team to a perfect start, and whether Lock gets to keep playing or not, the QB2 spot with the Seahawks is held by a person who can play exceedingly well in a pinch.
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