11/12/2026
(Seattle, WA) the 2026 NFL trade deadline came and went with the Seattle Seahawks making no further moves than signing offensive lineman Quentin Nelson a week ago. Nelson got one start for Seattle against the Bears but won’t start on Sunday in Las Vegas against the Raiders. Nelson had minor knee surgery and is now listed week to week. Could be back as early as Week 11.
Many wondered if Seattle would make a move, especially on the offense, potentially adding to the running back room. With early rumors, they had talked with Indianapolis about Jonathan Taylor or possibly adding another running back, such as Tony Pollard from the Titans. Others thought perhaps a receiver could be in the works, including Josh Downs from the Colts as well, but Seattle stayed firm and are ready to play the second half of the season with the current roster.
Drew Lock gets start #3
Backup quarterback Drew Lock is now 3-0 on the year, 2-0 as a starter. Both starts were against the Arizona Cardinals but he played most of the first game when starting QB Sam Darnold had to leave after the first series of the year. Lock has been consistent and steady. He has completed 54 of 76 pass attempts for a 71% completion rate. He’s racked up nearly 600 yards of passing offense in those three games, averaging just under 8 yards of completion. He’s thrown for 5 touchdowns, has had no interceptions, and has been sacked just twice. His passer rating is 116.
He has been dealing with tendonitis in his throwing elbow, in the game against the Cardinals he did go into the medical tent to be evaluated but did not miss a play on offense for Seattle. He’s also dealing with an oblique injury that he suffered against Arizona. However head coach Mike Macdonald stated in this week’s news conference that, “Drew’s making good progress, so we have a plan, similar to last week and we’ll go from there.”
Jalen Milroe remains the backup quarterback coming into the game against Vegas while Darnold continues to recover from a cracked rib and a quadriceps issue.
More on Nelson
Macdonald also addressed Nelson’s injury saying, “He’s here, he’s back in the building,” Macdonald said. “He looks good, we were able to get to some things, treatment wise, that are of the chasing edges caliber, which is music to my ears. I know he’s going to be back sooner than later if it’s under his control, and we’ll take it week by week at this point.”
More positive injury updates
McDonald is optimistic about some of the other injuries they’ve been dealing with reporting, there is optimism that some of the other players who were out last week — left tackle Charles Cross, receiver Rashid Shaheed, outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, defensive tackle Leonard Williams and nose tackle Brandon Pili — could make it back.
“We’re not going full speed today, so a lot of those guys will have the opportunity to take reps today, then we’ll see tomorrow,” Macdonald said. “We haven’t ruled anybody out yet, nor have we ruled anybody in yet, but good news on a lot of those guys.”
Receiver Rashid Shaheed, who has missed the last two games with a knee injury, was a full participant, while outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, who has also missed two games with an ankle injury, was a limited participant. Shaheed would be a welcome addition, especially in handling the punt and kick receiving duties.
Critical stretch for the Seahawks
Sunday’s game in Las Vegas is critical for Seattle to get the win. The following week is their bye week and when they come back they’re at San Francisco in a huge showdown with the 49ers. That should give most of those on the injury report time to get ready to face San Francisco.
Following the 49ers Seattle could easily go on a big winning streak as they will face the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Philadelphia Eagles before their first showdown with the LA Rams at home on Christmas Day. Seattle will then travel to Carolina and head to Los Angeles to take on the Rams for the second time to wrap up the regular season.
The defending champs could find themselves in a great position heading into the postseason if they can win at least 6 of their final 8 games, which would give them an 11-6 record.
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