Sam Darnold on good track to play Sunday vs. Commanders after glute injury

The Seahawks expect quarterback Sam Darnold to be back under center Sunday, with coach Mike Macdonald saying he is "on a good track" to start against the Washington Commanders after a glute injury cost him most of the first two games.

Darnold practiced Wednesday for the first time since getting hurt early in the season opener, though he was listed as limited and Macdonald indicated his workload will ramp up as the week progresses. Asked whether Darnold must be fully healthy to start, Macdonald did not set that bar. "I don't know what fully healthy means," he said. "I think we'll make a decision at some point before Friday's over. I don't think we'd go into the weekend not knowing if he's going to play."

The circumstances make a cautious approach tempting. Backup Drew Lock has quarterbacked the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks to a 2-0 record, completing nearly 73% of his passes with four touchdowns and no turnovers since replacing Darnold on the fifth play of the Week 1 win over New England. His Total QBR of 88.8 in last Sunday's 31-7 rout of Arizona was the third-best of his career, and he ranks fourth among all quarterbacks at 85.8 through two games.

Macdonald, though, said Lock's strong play is not the reason Seattle might ease Darnold back in. "If it was something where he was at risk of getting worse over the normal risk you take by taking the field, that might be part of the conversation," he said. "But really it's a function at this point of does he feel good enough to play." The team will know where things stand before the weekend begins.