Sam Darnold health update: Limited practice not an issue, Seahawks QB shrugs off oblique injury to lead Seattle into Super Bowl

Seattle is headed to the Super Bowl, and for fans, the biggest takeaway isn’t just the opponent waiting next month. It’s how calm and in control Sam Darnold looked while doing it. All week, the conversation revolved around his health, his limited practice time, and whether that would show up when the pressure peaked. On Sunday night, it didn’t. Instead, Darnold delivered his sharpest game of the postseason when Seattle needed it most. The Seahawks’ 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams wasn’t clean or easy, but it was confident. The offense never felt restricted, and Darnold never looked hesitant. That’s why what he said afterward mattered. This wasn’t a quarterback brushing off questions. It was someone explaining why preparation over months mattered more than a few missed reps in January.After the win, Darnold addressed the concern many fans had been wondering about. His practice reps had been cut back, and the injury chatter never really stopped. From his perspective, the timing was a non-issue. “Not really, I think, I’ve actually talked to my teammates about this, but I think we, middle of the season, week nine or ten, I think it might have been a bigger problem,” he said on if his reduced reps caused problems, via ESPN’s Brady Henderson’s post on X.Darnold explained why this week felt different. “But with all the reps that we’ve accumulated throughout the season and throughout training camp, OTAs, all that stuff, I wasn’t really concerned about timing or anything like that on certain reps.”Head coach Mike Macdonald didn’t exaggerate his praise. He said Darnold throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns after barely practicing should rank among the best playoff performances ever. The quarterback also confirmed he played through an oblique injury for a second straight week. He said he felt good physically and even described the moment as “almost poetic,” referencing the Cougar Cup. The injury popped up just two days before the divisional round against San Francisco. Since then, Seattle handled him carefully, splitting practice reps with Drew Lock and limiting deep throws during the week.That approach worked against the 49ers, when Darnold threw for 124 yards and a touchdown before stepping aside once the game was out of reach. Against the Rams, there was no easing off. He finished the job and erased doubts with production.Now the focus shifts to New England, a team that once gave Darnold the roughest night of his career. Asked about that memory, he didn’t deflect. “There was a lot that I didn’t know back then,” he said. “So you know, I’m just gonna continue to learn and grow in this great game. You know, there’s a lot of stuff I can get better from today, even. I feel like I missed some throws out there that I shouldn’t miss. You know, there were some things offensively that I feel like we can do better, so we’re always looking to get better.”Darnold is no longer running from that past. He’s walking into the Super Bowl believing he’s ready to rewrite it.