RENTON – The goal for the Seattle Seahawks this week is to get quarterback Sam Darnold as close to full health as possible in time for Sunday’s NFC conference title game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field.
With that in mind, Darnold may not be a full participant in practice as the team tries to balance how much work he needs versus allowing his sore left oblique muscle time to heal.
“Sam continues to get better,” coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday, speaking at a news conference after the team held a morning walk-through and before the team took the field for an afternoon practice outside.
“He’s not going to be a full-go the whole week, so we have a plan, we’re going to work through it, see how the day goes and take it day-by-day and take it to tomorrow. So he won’t be like throwing every ball, every play for the whole week, no.”
Darnold spoke to the media after Macdonald and said he is “feeling really good.”
“Just attacking rehab these last couple days,” he said. “Obviously will be throughout the week, just got to continue to prepare and get my body right for Sunday.”
Darnold injured the oblique in practice last Thursday and immediately pulled himself out of practice, allowing Drew Lock to take snaps with the first-team offense the rest of that day and Friday.
After throwing some warmup passes in the locker room on Saturday, he deemed himself healthy to play in the divisional-round game against the 49ers and played the entire game until giving way to Lock late in the fourth quarter during garbage time of a 41-6 win.
Macdonald said Monday he let out a little sigh of relief when Darnold took a sack in the first quarter for a 10-yard loss and hit Cooper Kupp for a 21-yard gain on the next play.
Darnold said by that time he was no longer worried about his health.
“To be honest, once I came out in warmups and felt good throwing the ball I was confident about going out there and letting it up,” Darnold said. “And whatever happens throughout the game, whether I take a hit or not, whatever happens, happens. If something tragic happens and I go down and can’t get up, then it is what it is and Drew or (third-team quarterback) Jalen (Milroe), they are ready to go.”
Darnold said he is hoping to get as many reps as possible, balanced against getting as healthy as possible for Sunday.
He’s navigating a different week schedule-wise. His news conference Wednesday is one of two that the league mandates he holds this week as the quarterback. He is also scheduled to speak on Friday.
Otherwise, he said he’s hoping to keep things as business as usual despite the stakes of the game.
“Trying not to change my routine too much based on those kinds of things,” he said. “It’s just keeping everything the same, watching the same amount of tape as I do on a normal week and go about it that way.”
Uncertainty at left tackle
One big injury question for the Seahawks as the week begins is at left tackle. Starter Charles Cross left in the third quarter Saturday with a foot injury.
Cross took part in walk-through Wednesday but Macdonald said he didn’t know how much work Cross would get in practice.
“We’re kind of working through it with Charles right now,” Macdonald said. “So we’ll see how it plays out the rest of the day.”
Cross said after the game he felt fine, without elaborating on the specifics of his injury.
Cross’ backup, Josh Jones, was not active for Saturday’s game because of a knee injury, and Macdonald said he was not expected to practice.
With Jones out, rookie Amari Kight took over at left tackle when Cross was sidelined Saturday, playing the final 17 snaps.
If Cross and Jones couldn’t play, Kight would seem the obvious candidate to start at left tackle. Kight, signed as an undrafted free agent in the spring, spent most of the year on the roster on the practice squad but was signed to the 53-man roster on Dec. 30, playing in four games with 22 overall snaps on special teams and offense before Saturday.
Martin named head ref
The NFL announced the officiating crews for Sunday’s conference title games earlier this week. Clay Martin will be the referee of an all-star crew of officials.
Martin has been a referee since 2018. The Seahawks are 4-1 in the five games he has worked since 2022, including a Monday night win over the Eagles in 2023 and a victory earlier this season at Jacksonville.
The one loss in that time? The Rams’ 26-20 overtime win over the Seahawks in Seattle last season.
Notes
• As expected, the Seahawks designated running back George Holani as returning to practice off injured reserve. Macdonald said he could be an option to play Sunday to help fill in depth with Zach Charbonnet now out for the season. The move also confirms that the season is over for receiver Tory Horton. Horton has been on IR since November with a shin injury and Seattle has no more designations left to return anyone to practice off injured reserve.
• The Seahawks announced they will wear the same all-college navy uniforms for Sunday’s game that they wore against the 49ers in the divisional round. They have worn it 100 times since its debut in 2012, winning 70.