Residents across Southern California, already looking ahead to the holiday season, will have a couple of NFC West matchups to mark on their calendars: the Los Angeles Rams are scheduled to face the Seattle Seahawks twice in the final three weeks of the season.
But who will be under center for the Seahawks when the Rams visit on Christmas Day and again two weeks later for the season finale? That’s a question many Seahawks fans are asking, raising what some have called a “quarterback controversy” around Super Bowl winner Sam Darnold.
Darnold, in his second season with Seattle, has seen his recent performance draw attention. In four games this season, he has thrown for over 1,000 yards, but also recorded seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. He missed most of Week 1 and all of Week 2 due to a hip injury.
Seattle currently holds a 3-3 record after six games, including a recent Thursday night loss to the Denver Broncos where Darnold threw two interceptions. His backup, Drew Lock, has put up four touchdowns and no interceptions in his two games this season, leading some fans to wonder if a change is warranted.
However, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald addressed the situation on Friday following the loss, stating that the team had no intention of making a change at quarterback “any time soon.”
Darnold's journey to Seattle was notable. After a stint as a backup with Kyle Shanahan in 2023, he led the Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024 before losing to the Rams in the playoffs, a game in which he was sacked nine times. The Vikings opted to let Darnold walk, and he subsequently signed a three-year, $100 million deal with Seattle.
This move appeared to pay off immediately for the Seahawks, as Darnold won the Super Bowl with the team in 2025. During that championship season, he threw 14 interceptions but managed to avoid any picks in the playoffs, playing a key role in Seattle's Super Bowl-winning campaign. That team also featured Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker, who has since departed in free agency, and arguably the best defense and special teams in the NFL.
This season, the supporting cast has faced more challenges. Kenneth Walker is gone, and the special teams unit has been described as shaky. The Seahawks have also struggled with turnovers, fumbling the ball 11 times in six games, with nine coming from running backs and Rashid Shaheed.
Darnold’s career history shows that interceptions can be part of his game, with 89 regular season picks across 105 games. While some quarterbacks can offset turnovers with high production, Darnold’s current seven touchdowns matching his seven interceptions is not an ideal ratio for Seattle. Drew Lock has been more efficient in 2026, though whether he is a better overall player than Darnold is a matter of debate.
It’s still early enough in the year for the Seahawks to turn their season around, but whether Darnold will be a central part of that turnaround — specifically by reducing turnovers — remains to be seen. Coach Macdonald is expected to make decisions in the best interest of his team, and at a certain point, he may have to consider other options if Darnold’s play does not improve.
The situation could impact the Rams directly, as the two teams are set to play on December 25, and again two weeks later in the final game of the regular season. If Darnold’s performance continues on its current trajectory, it will be fair to wonder who will be starting for the Seahawks by then, and what the future holds for Darnold in Seattle.
