EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock, who's in line to start this week with Sam Darnold sidelined, says the elbow injury that made him inactive for the last two games is "doing a lot better.""It's doing good," Lock said Thursday. "I'm excited to be back out there. Felt great to get under center, rip some balls yesterday. Feels good."The Seahawks plan to start Lock Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals because of Darnold's quad injury. But Lock has been dealing with an injury to his right elbow for at least the last three and a half weeks. He's been listed as a limited participant on every injury report the Seahawks have released since the start of Week 6, and he was relegated to the role of emergency third quarterback the last two games.Lock said Thursday that he would not have been able to start the last two games if Darnold had been unavailable, and that his throwing in practice those weeks was limited to individual periods. He was not seen throwing on the field during warmups alongside Darnold and QB3 Jalen Milroe before either of the last two games.Coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday that the Seahawks would also get Milroe ready to play this week in case he needed to step in against Arizona, and that Lock's throws will be managed in practice. Lock, though, said Thursday that he's "expecting to go take every rep" for the rest of the week."I'm going at it like a normal week," he said. "If the training staff want to pull it back a little bit, then we'll let them make that decision."Lock first appeared on Seattle's injury report on Oct. 11. Macdonald on Wednesday said he was hurt during a rainy practice, though he did not specify when or how. Lock did not provide details when asked how his injury occurred.This will be Lock's second time this season leading Seattle's offense. He played most of the first two games after Darnold suffered a glute injury on the fifth play of the opener. In wins over the New England Patriots and Cardinals, the eighth-year veteran completed almost 73% of his passes, with four touchdown passes, zero turnovers and the league's sixth-best Total QBR (82.5) in that span.His three touchdown passes helped Seattle beat Arizona 31-7 at State Farm Stadium."I'm really excited, especially after a couple weeks of not throwing too much," he said. "Being able to get out in the huddle with the guys and throw the football and spin it around. Any chance you get to go out there and do that, it's an exciting time."Darnold injured his quad near the end of the Seahawks' 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, which dropped the reigning Super Bowl champions to 4-4. Macdonald said he's week-to-week and that he won't be placed on injured reserve.Macdonald revealed Wednesday that Darnold also suffered a cracked rib when he was hit by blitzing cornerback Kyler Gordon on the second play against Chicago."I didn't know the extent of it, but after going through a whole season and having a hawkeye on him for most of all those games, I could tell pretty early that it was bothering him," Lock said. "He was an absolute soldier out there playing through that, and my hat goes off to him. It just shows how much he cares about this football team, how much he loves football and what he's willing to do for us. It's a special thing from a starting quarterback."
