💥 BREAKING NEWS: Sam Darnold Says He’s Fine—but the Injury Report Tells a More Complicated Super Bowl Story ⚡.DH

Sam Darnold didn’t hesitate when asked about his health. With the Super Bowl just days away, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback projected calm, confidence, and control.

“The time off has definitely helped a bit,” he said, signaling that whatever doubts lingered earlier in the postseason may no longer apply.

On paper, it sounds reassuring. But beneath the optimism, the situation remains more delicate than the words suggest.

Super Bowl LX is approaching fast, and Seattle’s preparation has been anything but ordinary. Darnold has been dealing with an oblique injury since mid-January—an issue that hasn’t kept him off the field, but hasn’t fully gone away either.

Even this week, as the Seahawks entered their most important stretch of preparation, he was once again listed as a limited participant on the injury report.

It’s a detail that’s easy to overlook. And yet, it’s been consistent.

Head coach Mike Macdonald has repeatedly emphasized progress. “He’s in a great place,” Macdonald said, pointing to Darnold’s gradual improvement and growing confidence.

The team only returned to more intense on-field work this week after avoiding full pads for nearly two weeks, adding another variable to how much Darnold’s body has truly been tested heading into the game.

There’s no question about availability. Darnold has played through the injury before—and effectively. He started both of Seattle’s playoff games, including a commanding NFC Championship performance against the Los Angeles Rams, where he threw three touchdown passes in a decisive win. That night, the injury barely showed.

But even then, something unusual lingered in the background.

Macdonald later revealed that Darnold had “barely” practiced leading up to that game. The quarterback delivered under pressure, but it came with a tradeoff: preparation versus preservation. That same balance appears to be shaping Super Bowl week.

As of Wednesday, Darnold’s workload remained uncertain. “We’ll see today,” Macdonald said. “Some days more than others.” It was a careful answer—neither dismissive nor fully reassuring.

The Seahawks aren’t panicking. In fact, all players participated in practice in some capacity. Left tackle Charles Cross and rookie Nick Emmanwori were limited with their own injuries, but the roster overall remains intact.

The team arrived in the Bay Area on Sunday night, practiced Monday, rested Tuesday, and resumed their familiar rhythm in San Jose.

Everything looks stable. Organized. Controlled.

And yet, the recurring designation next to Darnold’s name tells a quieter story.

Limited doesn’t mean injured enough to sit. It doesn’t mean unavailable. It means managed. And management suggests risk—something no team wants to openly acknowledge days before the Super Bowl.

Darnold’s confidence is real. His performance backs it up. Since joining the league, he’s built a reputation as a quarterback who absorbs pressure and plays through discomfort. This postseason has only reinforced that image.

But Super Bowl LX isn’t just another game. It’s longer, louder, heavier. Every movement is magnified. Every limitation matters.

So the question isn’t whether Sam Darnold will play.

The question is whether the version of Sam Darnold who steps onto that field is the same one who carried Seattle this far—or one who’s quietly compensating, adjusting, and pushing through more than anyone is willing to say out loud.

He says he’s ready.

The injury report keeps whispering otherwise.