Stacy Rost: There are differences as Drew Lock returns to Seahawks

Aug 6, 2025, 9:46 AM | Updated: 9:58 am

Host, Bump & Stacy (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

This year’s Drew Lock isn’t quite the same as the one that showed up to Seattle Seahawks camp a few years back.

That version of Lock had a big arm and athletic upside, but despite the wishes of some fans, he wasn’t going to beat out a much sharper Geno Smith for Seattle’s starting quarterback job.

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Contrary to the tone of this very article, this year’s Lock isn’t here to take the job from the current starter either. But a bit more zip on the ball and an ease throwing on the run in practices this summer should leave the Seahawks’ coaching staff feeling more confident about the 28 year old in an emergency.

Moreover, those changes continue to add to the story so many NFL fans are seeing more often in recent years: whether it’s a starter or backup, perhaps we give up on development a bit too early.

Lock’s teammate, Sam Darnold, is another example. Darnold was a top-five pick who failed with the New York Jets (like far too many passers before him) and, after growing as a backup in Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers offense, had a renewed campaign with last year’s Minnesota Vikings.

“The quarterback position is unique,” Lock told us Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “I mean, everybody feels this way probably. The older you get, the more reps you bang, the more football you’ve been around, the calmer you feel, the more confident you feel. ‘I’ve seen this, I’ve done this.’ It just ends up making football a little easier.

“Well, it’s never — easier is not a great word. It’s never easy.”

Lock, who signed as a free agent with Seattle in April after spending 2024 with the New York Giants, returns to a Seahawks camp with a few familiar faces. He’s throwing to receivers Jake Bobo and Cody White, both of whom he saw so many second team reps with last time around.

“I know how they run routes. I’ve been in this style of offense before,” Lock said of new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s wide zone scheme. “There’s just a lot of things reoccurring. It makes it a smooth transition into a new offense. And it’s been a lot of fun.”

As it is for so many players in the NFL, the journey itself may not have been quite as fun. Lock signed with the Giants to back up Daniel Jones. Despite Jones’ hefty salary, there was, by all outward appearances, a real chance to compete that didn’t exist in Seattle.

Then came one of the weirder storylines to come out of New York: after benching Jones, the Giants turned to emergency backup Tommy DeVito over Lock, who was the No. 2 quarterback. The latter was publicly supportive, but fans watching from afar on the west were left scratching their heads.

It’s not the only thing that made Lock’s decision to return to the Pacific Northwest, even under a different head coach in Mike Macdonald, an easy one.

“This is a special place for me,” Lock said. “I loved this organization for the two years I was here. Love the city, my wife loves the city. But when we were prepping going against Mike Macdonald’s defense (with the Baltimore Ravens), we had a long week of talks about what we’re going to do, how we’re going to attack this. With him being here, you know your defense is going to come to play.

“Just the trajectory of this team, bringing Sam in, it’s just an exciting time here. It was something I couldn’t pass up.”

Hear the full Bump and Stacy conversation with Seahawks QB Drew Lock at this link or in the video and audio players near the top of this post. Catch Bump and Stacy live from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.