Will Sam Darnold play in the Super Bowl tonight? Latest injury update on the Seattle Seahawks quarterback

Sam Darnold spent years being labeled a bust. On Sunday night, he stood one game away from rewriting his entire NFL story.The Seattle Seahawks quarterback appeared on the injury report this week with an oblique issue, raising questions about his availability for Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots. By the end of the week, the answer became clear.Darnold was listed on the Seahawks’ injury report with an oblique injury during Super Bowl week. He practiced fully throughout the week and did not receive a game designation. That typically signals no limitation heading into kickoff.Seattle treated Darnold as its unquestioned starter. He took his normal practice reps and remained central to the game plan as the Seahawks prepared for their first Super Bowl appearance in 10 years. There was no indication from the team that his workload would be managed or altered.The timing matters. Super Bowl LX kicked off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. With no late-week setbacks and full participation logged, Darnold entered the game expected to play without restrictions.Darnold’s presence in the Super Bowl marked one of the league’s sharpest narrative turns. After stops with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, and Minnesota Vikings, he delivered the best football of his career in Seattle.During the 2025 season, Darnold threw for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, completing 67.7% of his passes. He also added 95 rushing yards. His calm response to adversity became a defining trait, including a four-interception loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11 that did not spiral into a collapse.That mental shift was something Darnold openly acknowledged earlier this season. “I think just learning how to flush bad plays, flush bad games,” Darnold said. “Early in my career, I was really hard on myself. I would let it kind of affect my attitude.”Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak trusted that mindset. Even after mistakes, the Seahawks continued to lean on Darnold’s aggression and short memory.“He’s got a short memory, but he’s aggressive,” Kubiak said. “If he makes a mistake, he can go out and gun it the next play.” That approach helped Seattle rally from deficits, survive tight finishes, and eventually dismantle the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, where Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.