Seahawks QB Sam Darnold has ‘chance’ to return this week

Coverage across multiple sports outlets documents the status of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold during Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season. Reports detail his progression from initial expectations of a practice return toward full participation at team practices. Outlets tracking the situation include CBS Sports, The Guardian, NFL.com, The New York Times, Field Gulls, Seattle Sports, the official Seattle Seahawks site, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, NBC Sports, and USA Today. The coverage centers on whether Darnold will be able to play in the upcoming matchup against the Commanders following injury concerns. Initial reports from outlets like Seattle Sports and Field Gulls indicated that head coach Mike Macdonald stated there was a chance Darnold would practice during Week 3.

Subsequent updates from ESPN, NBC Sports, and The New York Times confirmed that the Seahawks planned to have Darnold back at practice starting on a Wednesday. As the week progressed, outlets including NFL.com and The New York Times reported that Darnold was a full participant in practice and was striving to make his return as the starting quarterback against the Commanders, with Yahoo Sports and sports.yahoo.com also capturing Darnold's own comments regarding his potential comeback. Additional context provided in the coverage establishes that the Seattle Seahawks entered Week 3 with a 2-0 record. Alongside the updates regarding Darnold's practice participation and injury status, concurrent reports from outlets such as NBC Sports noted health developments concerning the opposing team, mentioning that the Commanders and player Daniels were consulting experts regarding an elbow issue. General NFL schedule and odds coverage from CBS Sports and The Guardian further situated the Week 3 matchup within the broader league landscape alongside other games such as Ravens-Cowboys, Chiefs at Dolphins, Chargers at Bills, and Bengals at Steelers.

With practice reports confirming his full participation, ongoing coverage points toward his potential game-day availability. Readers and analysts following the trend are left to monitor official game-day roster decisions and pre-game warmups to see if Darnold successfully transitions from full practice participant to starting quarterback against the Commanders. Coverage does not yet specify the final game-day roster decisions or official snap counts beyond the reported practice participation and statements regarding his drive to play.