Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks announced that quarterback Drew Lock has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss his team's preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Thursday.

Per NFL and NFLPA joint COVID-19 protocols, Lock must isolate for at least five days.

The 25-year-old was scheduled to start at quarterback for the Seahawks when they host the Chicago Bears on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in a preseason matchup. He and Geno Smith are currently locked in a battle for the Seahawks' starting signal-caller job.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll gave an update on the current race status to reporters Tuesday, noting that Smith was still leading the QB1 battle but that the plan all along had been for Lock to start the Bears game (h/t ESPN's Brady Henderson).

Pete Carroll says “Geno’s still the No. 1 guy” but Drew Lock will start Thursday’s second preseason game vs. Chicago. That was the plan all along, per Carroll. pic.twitter.com/j7n4ccGx0R

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 16, 2022

Without Lock for now, the Seahawks only have two quarterbacks on their current roster in Smith and Jacob Eason.

Lock and Smith are battling to determine the Seahawks' starting QB role after Seattle traded 10-year signal-caller Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.

Smith started the Seahawks' first preseason game, a 32-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former West Virginia star went 10-of-15 for 101 passing yards. Lock went 11-of-15 for 102 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Before the Steelers game, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll reiterated to reporters that Smith was leading the QB1 race.

Geno Smith is still in lead of QB competition and will start on Saturday, Pete Carroll says

— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) August 9, 2022

After the Steelers game, Carroll praised both Smith and Lock.

"Both quarterbacks were efficient," Carroll said, per Ryan Decker of wboy.com. "Geno could’ve been 10-for-10. He had two drops, and Noah (Fant) has to stay in bounds on a ball on the sidelines and he hits them all. And we moved the ball pretty well with Drew also."

Week 2 of the preseason featured Lock getting looks with the starters during practice, as noted by Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune.

Drew Lock QB1 today at Seahawks camp

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 16, 2022

However, plans will now change with Lock out for the remainder of the week.

The former Bronco does have another preseason game on the ledger to showcase his talents in competitive action before the regular season, as the Seahawks will visit the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, Aug. 26 to close out the slate.

Lock, 25, spent his first three years in Denver and arrived in Seattle as part of the Wilson trade. The former Missouri star and second-round draft pick sported a 59.3 percent completion rate for 25 touchdowns (20 interceptions) and 6.7 yards per pass attempt in 21 games (24 starts) during his Broncos career.

Seattle's regular season opens on Monday, Sept. 12 against Wilson and the Broncos.

Seattle Seahawks rookie Kenneth Walker III may not be ready for the season opener against the Denver Broncos.

Head coach Pete Carroll told reporters the running back missed Tuesday's practice because of a hernia, and the hope is for him to be ready to go by Week 1:

Carroll on Walker continued: "We’ve just got to make sure that he’s OK by the opener is what we’re shooting for.”

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 16, 2022

The 21-year-old transferred to Michigan State ahead of the 2021 season, and he made his one year with the Spartans count. He ran for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games. His 1,725 yards from scrimmage were more than he had compiled across his two seasons at Wake Forest (1,205).

The Seahawks saw enough from the 5'9", 211-pound ball-carrier to select him in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.

The move seemed to cement the franchise's decision to build the offense around a new vision, one that didn't include Russell Wilson. Carroll and general manager John Schneider want to set the tone on the ground.

Given what the Seahawks invested in him, Walker figures to be a big part of their future. Carroll isn't bereft of running back options with him out of the mix, though.

Rashaad Penny is coming off his best season as a pro, running for 749 yards and six touchdowns in 10 appearances, while Travis Homer provides depth.

The Seattle Seahawks and DK Metcalf may have agreed to a long-term contract extension this offseason, but the star receiver admitted that he seriously wondered whether his future was in Seattle before the deal was completed.

"Of course, there were doubts if I was gonna be in Seattle or not," he said on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday. "But at the end of the day, you know, I prayed about it. I thought about getting traded for like 30 seconds. Then I snapped out of it, and I was like, 'No, I can't just up and leave like that.' This was the city that drafted me, this the team that believed in me from day one. So I can't just, you know, leave when things get tough or when things get hard."

Metcalf and the Seahawks ultimately agreed on a three-year, $72 million extension, which put him in line with the new deals fellow young wideouts A.J. Brown (four years, $100 million) and Deebo Samuel (three years, $71.5 million) inked with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, respectively, this offseason.

It was good news for a Seattle team that has already seen plenty of turnover this offseason, with star quarterback Russell Wilson traded to the Denver Broncos.

It remains to be seen who will be throwing Metcalf passes this season, with Geno Smith and Drew Lock battling for the starting quarterback gig. Making sure Metcalf is fed will be one of the top priorities for whoever wins the job, however.

The 24-year-old is Seattle's most dynamic offensive weapon, catching 75 passes for 967 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns in 17 games last season. It was a bit of a step back after he notched 83 catches for 1,303 yards and 10 scores in 16 games in 2020, but it was still solid production.

Whether Metcalf can replicate that level of output with either Smith—who has spent much of his career as a backup—or a young player in Lock who struggled to impress during his Denver days is a major question mark for Seattle, a team that appears to be in a transitional period.

Add in a tough slate of NFC West opponents in the 49ers, defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals, and it wouldn't be a shock if the Seahawks have a rough 2022 campaign.

But Metcalf is sticking around. That much, at least, is excellent news for the organization.

The Rashaad Penny hype train has ground to a halt.

The Seattle Seahawks running back is dealing with groin tightness and is expected to sit out Saturday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rookie Kenneth Walker III should start in his place, and he received gushing praise from Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who told reporters Thursday that the team would "feel comfortable with" having Walker play all three downs:

"You talk about surprises, I'm surprised. I'm surprised he's so well-rounded. A runner, he's blocking. Again I think I mentioned it the other day, but his pass-protection stuff, he just turned the page (from college). I mean, he was not very good in college as a pass protector, and we didn't know.

"But Chad's (Morton) done a great job with him and Amanda (Ruller), they've worked really hard with him, so it's important. But I think for this kid, everything is important. He wants to be great, and he's not going to let any stone be unturned. So, I'm really excited to see how he goes. He's going to get some good playing time in this game and get him comfortable with the speed of the game and all of that. I expect him to do well."

Seattle selected Walker with the No. 41 overall pick in April's draft, putting him on the radar of fantasy managers. Expectations have been tempered by the presence of Penny, who was a league-winner down the stretch last season. Penny averaged 22 fantasy points per game in points-per-reception leagues over the final five weeks of the regular season, finally realizing the massive potential that's existed since he was a first-round pick in 2018.

The Seahawks re-signed Penny to a one-year contract in the offseason, ostensibly to see whether he could continue that level of production over a full year.

Unfortunately, Penny is already dealing with a nagging soft-tissue injury. He has never played more than 14 games in a season and has played just 23 total games over the past three years. Penny has no history of being healthy long enough to be a reliable fantasy option.

At RB32 in FantasyPros average draft position, it's hard to call him a potential bust. Running backs in that range are typically crapshoots or guys who split 50-50 timeshares in shaky offenses. Penny is probably still worth taking in that spot.

That said, be ready to pounce if Walker is available in the following round. It might not be long before he grabs the job for himself.

Police cam footage of Marshawn Lynch's DUI arrest shows officers dragging the former NFL running back out of his car.

TMZ Sports obtained footage of the arrest, which shows Lynch refusing to cooperate with police until one officer loses his patience, grabs Lynch by the hood of his sweatshirt and drags him to the ground. The officer then places a knee on Lynch's back while placing him under arrest.

"No more games today," the officer said as he was taking Lynch to the ground.

The arresting officer then says he notices the smell of alcohol on Lynch's breath. During the several minutes in which Lynch refused to exit his vehicle, officers did not indicate he was being investigated for DUI. They instructed him to get out of his car because he was "obstructing an investigation," according to the video.

"Marshawn was not pulled over for a DUI. Rather the vehicle was safely parked and not in operation," Lynch's attorneys said in a statement. "We are confident that when all evidence is presented, this will not be a DUI under Nevada law. Marshawn appreciates and is thankful for everyone’s concern and support."

When the officer whose body cam footage was released arrived at the scene, another officer in the video noted that Lynch "said he doesn't drink or do drugs" but questioned whether they had "ever seen anybody drive a car like that?" while directing the officer to the damaged tires. "He drove it 'til the f--king rims came off," she added.

The police report indicated Lynch remained uncooperative while in custody, with officers needing to use a restraint chair to draw blood to test for alcohol after he refused a Breathalyzer.

Lynch was formally charged with DUI after his blood test came back above the legal limit. He is set for a court date in December.

Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch may not have helped his case when he was pulled over Tuesday by Las Vegas police.

According to TMZ Sports, police said Lynch told them he had stolen the car he was driving: "During the stop, cops say Lynch 'stated that he was not drinking and he does not do drugs, but that he stole the vehicle.'"

The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Glenn Puit reported authorities made note of the damage to the vehicle, which was judged to be undrivable. One tire had been torn off and the front tire on the passenger side was "almost off."

Police cited Lynch for driving under the influence, driving an unregistered vehicle, failing to surrender proof of security and failing to drive in a travel lane.

The officers said in their report they "observed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from the vehicle, his person and his breath along with bloodshot, watery eyes" in reference to Lynch.

Per TMZ Sports, officers also said they had to physically restrain the 36-year-old in order to execute a search warrant to obtain a blood sample after Lynch refused a Breathalyzer.

TMZ Sports also shared a statement from Lynch's attorneys, Richard A. Schonfeld and David Z. Chesnoff:

Marshawn was not pulled over for a DUI. Rather the vehicle was safely parked and not in operation. We are confident that when all evidence is presented, this will not be a DUI under Nevada law. Marshawn appreciates and is thankful for everyone’s concern and support.

Lynch's arrest came one day after the Seattle Seahawks announced he'd be working as a special correspondent for the broadcast team later on during the 2022 NFL season.

Lynch played seven years for the Seahawks and was a member of their Super Bowl-winning squad in 2013.

It is Geno Smith's offense for the Seattle Seahawks heading into the preseason.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said Smith is leading the quarterback race with Drew Lock and will start under center for Saturday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.

Things are certainly going to look different in Seattle regardless of who wins the quarterback race.

The team traded franchise legend Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos this offseason, and he took nine Pro Bowls and four seasons with more than 4,000 passing yards with him to the AFC West. Dialing up the pressure on Smith and Lock is the fact that Wilson's Broncos visit Seattle in Week 1 to start the regular season.

They both have plenty of work to do to reach the standard their predecessor set.

Smith has been in the league since he was a second-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft and has played for the New York Jets, New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers and Seahawks throughout his career.

He is just 13-21 in 34 starts, including a 1-2 mark in three starts for the Seahawks last year, and has completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 6,917 yards, 34 touchdowns and 37 interceptions.

By contrast, Lock has made 21 starts since he was a second-round draft pick in 2019 and has an 8-13 record. All 24 of his appearances came for the Broncos, and he completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 4,740 yards, 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

It appeared as if Lock might have had something of an inside track when Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune reported he was the better quarterback during Saturday's mock game:

Drew Lock wins Seahawks mock game over Geno Smith.

Lock 19-26 passing. 4 drives with 2nd O vs 1st D, 1 with 1st O vs 2d D. Drive ends: TD run, TD pass, FG, punt, TO on downs

Smith 11-20, 4 drives, 3 with 1st O vs 2d D. Ends: TD run, FG, punt, punt, punt

O just did more w/Lock

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 6, 2022

However, Smith has more experience and started multiple games for the Seahawks just last season. It is apparently his job to lose, and he will have the opportunity to further solidify his spot atop the depth chart when the preseason begins Saturday.

Drew Lock reportedly took an important step in the battle with Geno Smith to be the quarterback who fills Russell Wilson's shoes on the Seattle Seahawks.

Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune reported that Lock was the better quarterback than Smith during a mock game Saturday, noting the offense "just did more" with the former under center.

"It depends on what it tells me, I don't know that, but it's really important to see where we've come," head coach Pete Carroll said when discussing how important it was in the overall quarterback battle, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. … "We did that really well, so we've made a lot of progress, but now we need to see what it looks like on film. It might not tell us as much as I hope, but we will see."

According to Bell, Lock completed 19-of-26 passes and led two drives that ended in touchdowns and another that resulted in a field goal. By comparison, Smith went 11-for-20 and directed one touchdown drive and one field-goal drive.

"I don't have anything to tell you right now, I have to wait and see," Carroll said when asked if the performance would lead to more first-team practice reps for Lock.

Seattle opens its preseason slate on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers and kicks off the regular season with a matchup against Wilson's Denver Broncos. Whoever wins the starting job will be under the microscope even more in that season opener considering they will be facing a Seahawks legend making his first start elsewhere.

The race is far from over, but Lock reportedly looked more ready for the challenge Saturday.

The Seattle Seahawks have a quarterback battle brewing in training camp between Geno Smith and newcomer Drew Lock.

On Saturday, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Smith is currently in pole position.

"Geno continues to be on top, he's ahead, he's been in the lead for all the obvious reasons, and he's holding onto it and doing a really good job of battling," he said. "Both guys are communicating beautifully, they're learning well, we don't have any issues with anything we're trying to do. There are no issues here where we have to go, 'Oh, we can't quite do this or that with this guy or that guy,' it isn't like that. They're very talented arm-wise, and the ability to throw the ball down the field is there. So, let the games begin."

As for those "obvious reasons" Smith is the current frontrunner, Carroll provided more details.

"He's just doing things right," he said. "He handles the system, he's making the checks at the line of scrimmage, he's able to control the protections and working with [center] Austin [Blythe], those guys are hitting it really well, and he's just really talented. He's made great throws every day."

That doesn't mean there isn't an opening for Lock to win the job, however.

"I'm still looking for them to really come in, and really own it, and put days together where they don't have any negative plays, the plays that they wish they had back," Carroll noted. "So, in a sense, there's been openings for both guys by not having the complete day, getting everything done, and finishing the day close to perfect."

Smith, 31, spent the previous two seasons in Seattle as Russell Wilson's backup, making three starts last season when Wilson was out injured. He led the Seahawks to a 1-2 record in those games, finishing the season with 702 passing yards, five scores and an interception while completing 68.4 percent of his passes.

After being the starter for the New York Jets early in his career during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Smith has largely been a backup with the Jets and during stints on the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before finding his way to Seattle.

Lock, 25, was a second-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2019 draft with aspirations he would eventually become the team's starter.

But he struggled in 21 starts across three seasons, throwing for 4,740 yards, 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions while completing just 59.3 percent of his passes. The Broncos were 8-13 in his starts, and when they chose to upgrade at the position by trading for Wilson, Lock was sent the other way.

Pete Carroll says of QB Drew Lock: “He’s got some gunslinger in him.…. We want to see how that all fits with us.” Carroll, Seahawks coaches are trying to manage that, get him to make the right decisions. Carroll said the talent is there. pic.twitter.com/u0MKwUg1TY

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 5, 2022

For Lock, the chance to win the starting gig may come with more reps.

"He just needs to stay out there and show us how he's going to make his decisions when the big opportunities come," Carroll told reporters. "He's made a ton of plays already. He's made a ton of good throws, he really runs well, he's elusive, he has a really quick trigger, his ability to release the football shows up, he has a lot of talent now. So we just need reps. We need turns, we just need to see more situations to really find any reason to see a difference between the guys. There's just not enough stuff yet."

The Seattle Seahawks announced Monday that head coach Pete Carroll has tested positive for COVID-19.

Statement from a @Seahawks spokesperson: pic.twitter.com/r0BqwWVtom

— Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) August 1, 2022

The team said Carroll, who's fully vaccinated, is dealing with mild symptoms and will work remotely.

The Seahawks opened training camp last Wednesday and have their first preseason game in less than two weeks Aug. 13.

Carroll is the second notable NFL figure to have a positive COVID test announced Monday, joining Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.

In March, the NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to suspend their joint COVID-19 protocols, which included mask requirements and regular tracking of players and staffers.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported in June the league was dropping its mandated surveillance testing as well.

In other news from the memo: No more "Tier" restrictions in facility or travel party, and clubs may individually determine whether to require COVID vaccines/boosters for staff, subject to state law. So unvaccinated coaches who were restricted in 2021 may not be in 2022.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 3, 2022

The number of positive COVID tests in the United States began declining in the spring but has risen again across the summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current daily average for new cases is 125,355.