The Seattle Seahawks overhauled their quarterback room this offseason, which began with their shocking trade of Geno Smith that reunited the veteran signal caller with former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. They followed that by signing free agent Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract.
Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns last season, both figures ranking fifth in the league. He was one of the most surprising comeback stories of the 2024 NFL season. Once considered a massive draft bust, Darnold found new life with the Minnesota Vikings under Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell. In that high-powered offensive scheme, he emerged as a fringe MVP candidate.
With Darnold in tow, the organization made it a priority to find a backup quarterback who can play similarly to the former No. 3 overall pick. Just weeks before the 2025 NFL Draft, it appears offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has his understudy.
Seattle Seahawks Sign Drew Lock as Backup QB to Sam Darnold
Even though the team has former Washington Commanders draft pick Sam Howell on its depth chart, it’s clear that the team wasn’t content to rest on its laurels this offseason.
According to Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Seahawks are reuniting with quarterback Drew Lock, who spent the 2023 season in Seattle.
Sources: The #Seahawks are signing veteran QB Drew Lock, bringing him back to Seattle for a second stint. He will backup Sam Darnold. pic.twitter.com/lTMBWUpi1j
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 11, 2025
Lock left the Pacific Northwest to join the New York Giants last offseason, and he earned the most amount of playing time he’d seen since 2020 following the team’s decision to release incumbent starter Daniel Jones.
In eight games (five starts) for Big Blue, Lock completed just 59.1% of passes while throwing for 1,071 yards. He had just six touchdown passes compared to five interceptions, and his 75.5 passer rating would have finished ahead of only Anthony Richardson if he had enough passes to qualify.
Lock didn’t see enough playing time to earn a grade on PFSN’s QB+ scale, though it’s hard to imagine he would have finished much higher than Jones, who placed 32nd with a 64.1 grade. For what it’s worth, Darnold (79.0) finished 12th on that list, while Smith (77.6) ranked 15th.
Still, Lock does have experience with the Seahawks, serving as Smith’s backup during the 2023 season. He played in four games (two starts) that season, posting very similar stats to his Giants tenure, including an equal amount of touchdowns and interceptions (three).
He isn’t the sexiest name for a backup quarterback, but as a former second-round pick with a big 6’4″ frame, he at least has the pedigree that teams look for in an understudy.
With Lock, Howell, and 2023 fifth-rounder Jaren Hall also on the roster, the Seahawks have a deep, versatile QB room to support Darnold in his first season in Seattle.