Sam Darnold reaches full practice, but Seahawks have not named Sunday's quarterback

Sam Darnold was a full participant in Seattle's Thursday practice, his first full session on the team's Week 3 injury report since a glute injury interrupted the season opener. The Seahawks had listed their starting quarterback as limited Wednesday. They have yet to say whether he will start Sunday's road game against the Washington Commanders.

That distinction matters after a week in which Darnold's return became more plausible with each update. He left the opener against New England early and missed Seattle's Week 2 win at Arizona. Coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday that the plan was to increase Darnold's workload through the week and make a decision later. Thursday's full participation shows he handled more practice work; it is not a game designation or a clearance to start.

Darnold told team reporters before Thursday's practice that he was striving to play Sunday while taking the recovery day by day. The team published his own comments in its native audio player. Those comments preceded the full practice, so the report is the stronger evidence of how the day ended. Seattle's Friday report should provide the next official signal.

Seattle has a tested alternative if the starter needs more time. Drew Lock played after Darnold exited against the Patriots, then started the 31-7 win over the Cardinals. Lock threw three touchdown passes in Arizona, all to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, according to the Seahawks' Week 2 recap. Seattle's offense has therefore played with both an emergency replacement and a full week of preparation for Lock. That does not settle who takes the first snap in Washington, but it gives Macdonald room to wait for Darnold's health assessment.

The quarterback question also changes how to read Seattle's week. A full practice is meaningful progress from Wednesday's limited designation, especially for a passer who missed the previous game. It does not tell us how Darnold felt after practice, how much work he will take Friday, or what the medical staff will recommend. Field Gulls' independent report also noted the upgrade while treating Sunday's start as a possibility rather than an announcement.

For now, the confirmed news is the upgrade. Watch Friday's final injury report and Macdonald's next availability for the actual game designation. If the Seahawks keep Darnold active and start him, it will be his first extended game action since the opener. If they hold him out again, Lock has already shown what he can do with the first-team offense.