Seahawks host Cardinals for Week 9 rematch with Drew Lock at QB

The Story

The Seahawks will host the Cardinals on Sunday for the second meeting of the season between the two NFC West teams, after Seattle won 31-7 in Arizona in Week 2.

Seattle’s quarterback situation will look familiar from that opener, with Drew Lock taking over again in place of Sam Darnold, who was sidelined with a quadricep injury late in Monday’s game.

The Cardinals also made a quarterback change last week, turning to former WSU standout Gardner Minshew, who came off the bench against the Cowboys and led Arizona to a comeback win in overtime.

Here are five storylines to watch in Sunday’s matchup.

First, the Seahawks will look for another productive start from Lock in relief. In the Week 2 opener against the Patriots, Lock went 16-for-22 for 187 yards and a touchdown without a turnover, for a 113.3 passer rating, helping Seattle rally from a 10-0 deficit. In Arizona later that week, Lock connected on an 82-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on his first attempt, and finished 19-for-26 for 235 yards, three touchdowns and a 139.1 passer rating in a 31-7 win. Offensive coordinator Brian Fleury said Lock’s prior performance against the same opponent gives “a lot of confidence,” adding that the team knows he can handle what Arizona will try.

Second, Seattle’s defense will aim to put a stop to the momentum behind Minshew’s arrival. After being down 14 late in the third quarter against Dallas in Week 8, Arizona replaced Jacoby Brissett with Minshew, and the move helped the Cardinals come back to win in overtime. In just over a quarter, Minshew threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Minshew is “a good player” and “a playmaker,” citing his decision-making and the way he sees the field.

Third, the Seahawks’ offence will also be watching how the updated offensive line and run game develop. Seattle acquired Quenton Nelson in a trade last week, but his arrival also shifted the line’s internal alignment: Nelson is a left guard and moved in as a constant at that spot, with 2025 first-round pick Grey Zabel relocating to right guard, replacing Anthony Bradford. The team also expects more from its backfield as it gets players back—Zach Charbonnet returned for his 2026 debut after tearing his ACL in the playoffs last January, and rookie Jadarian Price returned from a four-game absence on injured reserve. Macdonald said the club needs to “run the ball better as a unit,” and pointed to the lack of live reps for Charbonnet since his injury.

Fourth, Seattle will be trying to improve its red-zone performance on both sides of the ball. The Seahawks have allowed touchdowns on 83.3 percent of opponents’ red-zone trips, the highest rate in the NFL, including a 4-for-4 red-zone showing against the Bears last weekend. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde said the team is not “good enough in (the red zone)” and needs to correct areas such as alignment, assignments, technique and fundamentals.

Fifth, Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains a central piece of the Seattle offence, and the Cardinals may have to plan carefully around him again. In the Week 2 meeting, Smith-Njigba broke open with a double move on the right side, turning Lock’s pass into an 82-yard touchdown—the longest catch of his career and Seattle’s longest play of that season. Over eight catches, he finished with 155 yards and three touchdowns in that game. The Seahawks will be watching whether they can keep that kind of production going while managing their broader offensive goals late in the season.

Smith-Njigba has reached 100 yards in seven of the first eight games this season and has 985 receiving yards, the second most for a receiver thought to be in the Super Bowl era. He needs 15 yards on Sunday to become the third player in franchise history with 1,000 receiving yards in three straight seasons, joining Tyler Lockett and Hall of Famer Steve Largent. The team’s Week 9 matchup could also bring milestones for Lockett and Smith-Njigba if they reach specified yardage and scoring marks in the first nine games of the season.