The Seattle Seahawks have lost three of their last four games since Sam Darnold returned from injury. The major issue, however, is hard to ignore: turnovers. Seattle has committed multiple turnovers in several losses, with quarterback Darnold facing criticism over his ball security.
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Since returning from injury, Darnold has thrown seven interceptions, including two against the Denver Broncos on Thursday. As that happened, CBS Sports’ John Breech criticized the quarterback and argued that if Darnold continues throwing interceptions, he may have to compete with Drew Lock for the starting job.
“This is an interesting dilemma. Do you keep Sam Darnold on the field and let him be your starter, even though he is 1-3 since he came back from injury? Because the problem for the Seahawks is that this team is so good. It is so talented. They can win. All they need their quarterback to do is not throw interceptions,” said Breech. “But Sam Darnold can’t get out of his own way.”
Seattle lost to the Washington Commanders 33-31 in Week 3, followed by a 32-29 Week 5 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and then a 17-14 loss to the Broncos. Darnold threw two interceptions in each of the three losses.
Against the Commanders, he completed 31-of-45 passes for 379 yards and 4 touchdowns, but his pair of picks turned out costly for Seattle. His first interception came in the third quarter when a pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and intercepted. Washington turned the possession into a touchdown, adding to its lead.
Then, in the fourth quarter, with Washington leading 27-24, linebacker Kain Medrano intercepted Darnold’s pass intended for tight end AJ Barner and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. Washington went ahead 33–24, although it missed the extra point. Seattle’s turnovers accounted for 21 Washington points.
Two weeks later, Darnold and the team followed the same script.
Darnold was picked off on Seattle’s opening possession against the 49ers. San Francisco took advantage of the short field, with quarterback Brock Purdy connecting with Mike Evans for a touchdown. It immediately put Seattle behind and gave the 49ers points without needing to drive the length of the field.
Then, Darnold threw another interception two plays into the second half. This time, however, Seattle’s defense stopped the 49ers, and it was a missed field goal. Still, the Seahawks’ turnovers once again accounted for 21 opponent points.
Now, against the Broncos, Darnold had one of the worst performances of the 2026 season. He completed 27-of-51 passes for 278 yards, no touchdowns, and 2 picks, while taking 5 sacks.
With Seattle trying to move the ball, Darnold attempted to fit a pass to Tory Horton while backing away from pressure. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted it, ending the drive. While the game went into overtime, Darnold threw the second interception of the night that proved costly for Seattle.
On third-and-seven at Seattle’s 28-yard line, Darnold attempted a pass toward Rashid Shaheed. Cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted it at the Seattle 43. Denver gained only eight yards on its ensuing possession, but that was enough for Wil Lutz to kick a 53-yard field goal with 4:53 remaining in overtime. Denver won 17–14.
“So this is literally the difference in the game ends up being these interceptions,” Breech added. “So you have to, if Sam Darnold is not turning the ball over, the Seahawks probably win all three of these games, and they’re 6-0 right now. And that’s kind of what you’re telling yourself if you’re Mike Macdonald.
“So the Seahawks have a big week seven game against the Chiefs. If you lose that and it’s because Darnold throws interceptions, I do think you have to at least consider putting Drew Lock out there. But Sam Darnold did win you a Super Bowl last year, so you have a longer leash, but you can’t keep him out there forever and keep letting him throw interceptions.”
Drew Lock started in Sam Darnold’s absence after the latter went down during the season opener against the New England Patriots. Not only did the backup quarterback lead the Seahawks to a pair of wins, but he also avoided interceptions while throwing four touchdowns in total.
However, when head coach Mike Macdonald was asked whether he was considering a change under center, he said, “No, no,” while also adding, “Sam’s played great football for us this year the majority of the time. There’s other times he needs to take care of the football. But I think these are solutions we can find with Sam as our quarterback. I believe that.”
The Seahawks will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. And while the calls to bench Sam Darnold are evident, for now, coach Macdonald is trusting his starting quarterback. But at the same time, his performance over the next few weeks will be monitored closely.