{"id":769,"section":"sports","section_label":"Sports","url":"https://www.brokenews.co/sports/769","headline":"Macdonald backs Darnold despite turnover spree","dek":"Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald says Sam Darnold remains the starter after seven interceptions in his last four games, including two in Thursday's overtime loss to Denver.","body":"Sam Darnold's revival season is starting to look like a relapse. Eight months after helping Seattle win its second Lombardi Trophy, the quarterback has thrown seven interceptions over his last four games, two of them Thursday night in a disheartening overtime loss to the Denver Broncos, a team that managed only 168 total yards.\n\nHead coach Mike Macdonald was asked about Darnold's job security on Friday and didn't blink, calling the 29-year-old \"definitely part of the solution\" to Seattle's early-season struggles rather than the source of them.\n\nIt's a notable vote of confidence given the trajectory. Darnold went from castoff to two-time Pro Bowler last year, the kind of turnaround that made him look like a long-term answer under center. Five games into this season, that answer looks murkier, with the turnovers piling up faster than the Seahawks can explain them away.\n\nFor now, Macdonald is staying the course, betting that the quarterback who got Seattle to a championship is still in there somewhere, even if recent evidence has been short on proof.","published_at":"2026-10-17T05:34:53.087177+00:00","source_count":3,"written_from":[{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Seahawks' Mike Macdonald gives Sam Darnold vote of confidence after turnover-riddled start: 'He's definitely part of the solution'","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/seahawks-mike-macdonald-gives-sam-darnold-vote-of-confidence-after-turnover-riddled-start-hes-definitely-part-of-the-solution-192519401.html"},{"outlet":"ESPN","publisher":"ESPN","title":"Seahawks sticking with Darnold despite 7 INTs in 4 games","url":"https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/50197704/seahawks-sticking-sam-darnold-starter-ints"},{"outlet":"New York Post","publisher":"New York Post","title":"Sam Darnold has been a mess this season as late mistake dooms Seahawks on ‘TNF’","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/10/16/sports/sam-darnold-has-been-a-mess-this-season-as-late-mistake-dooms-seahawks-on-tnf/"}],"more_coverage":[{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Richard Sherman’s savage reason for not hugging Seahawks’ Sam Darnold","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/richard-sherman-savage-reason-not-022622059.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"The Seahawks officially have a massive Sam Darnold problem","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/seahawks-officially-massive-sam-darnold-044656669.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"‘Time to Hit the Panic Button,’ ‘Sam Darnold Is Seeing Ghosts Again’ — NFL Analysts React to Seahawks’ Concerning 3-3 Start After TNF Loss to Broncos","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/time-hit-panic-button-sam-044500946.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Sam Darnold takes responsibility for Seahawks' loss at Denver: 'It’s BS for me to keep turning the ball over'","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/sam-darnold-takes-responsibility-for-seahawks-loss-at-denver-its-bs-for-me-to-keep-turning-the-ball-over-053242821.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Sam Darnold gets hit 17 times by Broncos defense, takes ownership of miscues as Seahawks fall in OT","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sam-darnold-gets-hit-17-061034026.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Mike Macdonald doesn’t sugarcoat Sam Darnold’s horrid performance vs. Broncos","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mike-macdonald-doesn-t-sugarcoat-071851042.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald Fires Clear Message to Sam Darnold After Loss to Broncos","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/seahawks-mike-macdonald-fires-clear-070905173.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Sam Darnold Gets Brutal Words After Seahawks Lose to Broncos","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sam-darnold-gets-brutal-words-071926184.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Seahawks Issued Clear Drew Lock Message After Loss to Broncos","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/seahawks-issued-clear-drew-lock-074737986.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Is it time for Seahawks to bench Sam Darnold after throwing away another game with careless INTs vs. Broncos?","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/time-seahawks-bench-sam-darnold-082826897.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Sam Darnold Breaks Silence After Seahawks Fans Question Benching","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sam-darnold-breaks-silence-seahawks-082024572.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald answers if he will make a switch at quarterback","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/seahawks-hc-mike-macdonald-answers-182417487.html"},{"outlet":"New York Post","publisher":"New York Post","title":"Sam Darnold ‘part of the solution’ for Seahawks as interceptions mount","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/10/16/sports/sam-darnold-part-of-the-solution-for-seahawks-as-interceptions-mount/"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald shuts down Sam Darnold benching question despite ugly outing vs. Broncos","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/seahawks-mike-macdonald-shuts-down-201857646.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Seahawks Make QB Decision Amidst Sam Darnold Struggles","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/seahawks-qb-decision-amidst-sam-201130648.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Seahawks QB Sam Darnold was brutally honest after loss to Broncos","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/seahawks-qb-sam-darnold-brutally-213051175.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Brian Fleury is on the hot seat after Seahawks' ugly loss to Broncos","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brian-fleury-hot-seat-seahawks-221007454.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Sam Darnold ‘part of the solution’ for Seahawks as interceptions mount","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sam-darnold-part-solution-seahawks-202746351.html"}],"image":null,"embed":null,"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","attribution":"Analysis data is licensed CC BY 4.0. Credit brokenews and link to the story page you took it from. Source headlines, story titles taken from a source headline, and quoted passages remain the property of their publishers and are quoted for comparison, not licensed onward.","terms":"https://www.brokenews.co/about#reuse"}