Sam Darnold ‘feeling really good,’ full go for Seahawks’ NFC championship
For having an injured oblique, Sam Darnold was noticeably direct.
“I feel really good,” the Seahawks’ Pro Bowl quarterback said Friday.
That was following his most normal-looking start to a practice since he injured his left, non-throwing side eight days earlier.
“Been feeling really good this whole week. Feel like the process has been going right along as it should be,” Darnold said.
“I feel really good for Sunday.”
Sunday is the NFC championship game. It’s the first of his eight-year NFL career. It’s the first for Seattle in 11 years.
Darnold is much closer to normal, so much so his team did not put him on the official injury report for the game that was due to the NFL Friday. Though he was technically limited in practice, meaning by league reporting standards he participated in less than 100% of his normal practice repetitions, Darnold is full go to start as usual Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
“He’s going to play,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said.
“Just having a really good rehab process. The guys in the training room do a really good job with everybody, myself included,” Darnold said.
Asked how much Friday in practice felt closer to his normal, Darnold said: “Yeah, felt really good out there. We’ll leave it at that.”
The eighth-year veteran quarterback got his first NFL playoff win last weekend playing through the injury in the divisional round against San Francisco. He threw only 17 passes. Seattle took Rashid Shaheed’s touchdown returning the opening kickoff plus 175 yards rushing and relied on its dominant defense for a 41-6 win over the 49ers.
Darnold said Friday he likely will do the same pregame warmup routine Sunday as he did last weekend before the San Francisco game. That was not being on the field for early warmups in sweats with backup quarterbacks Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe, as he usually does, then coming onto the field in full pads with the entire team to warm up about 30-40 minutes before kickoff.
Macdonald was in a joking, jovial mood following practice Friday — including while discussing Darnold’s health and status.
“He did great,” Macdonald said, smiling.
“Everything is going to plan, let’s put it that way.
“He’s going to play, and we’ll take it day by day.”
Darnold threw more Friday at the start of practice than he did Thursday, which is more than when he didn’t throw at all to begin practice Wednesday.
“Without getting into all the details, it’s all part of the plan,” Macdonald said.
“He feels good. Gets better every day.”
Asked how close to normal his 28-year-old quarterback feels and is, his 38-year-old coach said: “I don’t know.”
He grinned.
“I honestly don’t,” Macdonald said. “I mean, if I told you’d be lyin’. I don’t know.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Sam Darnold ‘feeling really good,’ full go for Seahawks’ NFC championship."
