When is the right time for Seahawks’ Sam Darnold to return?

With a 2-0 start to the season and a franchise-record 12-game winning streak to the Seattle Seahawks’ credit, they don’t seem like a team that played its backup quarterback on all but one offensive series so far this season.

Commanders choose QB for Week 3 vs. Seattle Seahawks

The credit for that belongs to Drew Lock, who has excelled in place of starting QB Sam Darnold, who suffered a glute injury just a few snaps into the Seahawks’ defense of their Super Bowl title in the season opener.

The Seahawks don’t have a quarterback controversy, though. Head coach Mike Macdonald was clear on that after Lock led them to a 31-7 victory Sunday at Arizona.

“If Sam can play, he’s going to play. And if Sam can’t play, then Drew will play,” Macdonald said. “I think it’s pretty simple.”

Macdonald provided an update Monday on Darnold during his weekly show with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, saying there’s a “chance” Darnold could play this Sunday at Washington.

That being said, the Seahawks have the luxury right now of a backup QB playing well, so they don’t need to rush Darnold back. So with a look at Seattle’s upcoming schedule, is there a right time for Darnold to return?

On Monday’s edition of Brock and Salk, Mike Salk asked longtime FOX football broadcaster and former NFL QB Brock Huard essentially that: Assuming Darnold doesn’t play in Week 3 on the road against the 0-2 Commanders, does he play the following week against the Los Angeles Chargers, who are also 0-2?

Huard had a one-word answer: Yes.

Then asked by Salk if he would rather Darnold rest until the Seahawks face the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, Huard had another one-word answer: No.

‘You’re not going to play a compromised Sam Darnold’

Huard explained the progression that Darnold needs to go through to return to his starting QB job, which seemed to inform his opinion that Darnold would be better off returning a week before the big game against the 49ers.

“He’s going to work to practice this week,” Huard said of Darnold. “And what what does that look like? Is he doing the scout stuff? … Can you practice and recover? Can you do these things? Can you go full speed? You’re not going to play a compromised Sam Darnold in any way, so the minute he’s not compromised (he will play), and the only way you… know that is sudden movement and some of the practice and some of the full speed running.”

Huard added that Darnold watching Lock and the Seahawks succeed while he’s sidelined likely makes him eager to get back on the field.

“That recovery speeds up a little bit when you see your backup looking pretty good, too. And he’s doing everything he can, I (said) that in jest. … But you’re also a human being. Like, now I want to go play. I want to play on this team. I want to play with that O-line. I want to play with that wide receiver. I want to play in this system where we got answers.”

Brock and Salk is live from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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