Seahawks QB Sam Darnold off injury report, will start Sunday vs. Commanders

Sam Darnold will be under center for the Seahawks on Sunday. Seattle's quarterback is officially off the injury report and cleared to start against the Washington Commanders, confirming the practice progression that had him trending toward the lineup all week.

The clearance closes a worrying chapter for the 29-year-old, who was limited Thursday in his first practice back and fully participated Friday after straining his glute in the season opener — an injury he initially feared might derail his career, but scans allayed those concerns.

Getting Darnold back is significant for a Seattle offense that has leaned on him through the opening weeks, and it gives the Seahawks their full complement of weapons against a Commanders defense that is still sorting out its own quarterback situation on the other side. Washington will start rookie Jayden Daniels, who is also off the injury report after being considered week-to-week with an elbow issue earlier this week.

The Seahawks will travel to Washington looking to steady a 1-1 start, and having their starter confirmed removes the game-plan uncertainty that a backup would have carried. Darnold, who won Super Bowl LX with Seattle last season and led the league in wins and back-to-back 14-win campaigns, is looking to build on that breakthrough in his second year in the offense.