GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Drew Lock #2 of the Seattle Seahawks drops back to pass during the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 31-7. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock said his elbow injury is doing better and he expects to be fully ready for his second start of the season Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
"It’s doing a lot better. It’s doing good," Lock said on Thursday. "I’m excited to be back out there. It felt great to get under center and rip some balls yesterday, so it feels good."
Lock has been on the injury report for the last three weeks with a right elbow issue that happened during a rainy practice in October. The last two games against Kansas City and Chicago, Lock hasn't even been active – serving in the emergency third quarterback role instead, while Jalen Milroe has backed up Sam Darnold.
But with Darnold out this week due to a cracked rib and a quadriceps injury sustained throughout Monday night's 34-17 loss to the Bears, Lock will face the Cardinals for a second straight meeting.
"I’m really excited, especially after a couple weeks of not throwing too much," Lock said. "Being able to get out in the huddle with the guys and throw the football and spin it around. Any chance you get to go out there and do that, it’s an exciting time. Hopefully in those moments, if we get some this weekend, and I black out in excitement, it’s nothing too stupid or crazy."
Dig deeper:
Darnold didn't explicitly tell Lock that he was hurting after cracking a rib on the second play of the game against the Bears. A cornerback blitz from Kyler Gordon drilled Darnold and hurt him. Lock said he was able to tell Darnold was being affected by something watching him on the sidelines.
"I didn’t know the extent of it, but after going through a whole season and having a hawkeye on him for most of all those games, I could tell pretty early that it was bothering him," Lock said. "He was an absolute soldier out there playing through that, and my hat goes off to him. It just shows how much he cares about this football team, how much he loves football and what he’s willing to do for us."
Lock started in Seattle's 31-7 win over the Cardinals in Week 2 and will get to face them again this week. He completed 19-of-26 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The performance was unquestionably the cleanest game played by a Seahawks' quarterback this season.
At 4-4, the Seahawks can't afford to cede any more ground in the standings against a Cardinals team they beat convincingly in September.
"This is a well-rounded football team," Lock said. "If we go out and all do our job and do our responsibilities with all three teams, we’re hard to beat, and we’ve got to just go to do that."
Injury Report:
The Source: Information in this story comes from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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