49ers vs Seahawks Injury Report: Is Sam Darnold Playing Tonight?

• San Francisco 49ers visit Seattle Seahawks in NFC Divisional Round on Saturday, January 18
• Sam Darnold hasn’t thrown since suffering oblique injury Thursday
• Check out the complete 49ers vs Seahawks injury report below

The No. 6 San Francisco 49ers face the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks in an NFC Divisional Round showdown at Lumen Field tonight. Both teams submitted final injury reports Friday, with major uncertainty surrounding Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold.

Darnold hasn’t thrown a football since suffering an oblique injury during Thursday’s practice. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday morning that Darnold is expected to play, but it’s unclear how much the injury will limit him. The 49ers ruled out linebacker Fred Warner and safety Ji’Ayir Brown.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on FOX from Seattle.

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Jump to: Seahawks Injury Report | 49ers Injury Report

Seahawks Injury Report

Seattle’s injury concerns center entirely on Darnold’s availability. The Seahawks are otherwise healthy heading into their first playoff game at Lumen Field with fans since January 2017.

Is Sam Darnold Playing?

Darnold is expected to play despite not throwing since Thursday’s injury. The Pro Bowl quarterback felt something in his left oblique during a routes-on-air period and left practice immediately as a precaution.

“I felt a little something in my oblique,” Darnold said Thursday. “Just didn’t want to push it. Wasn’t the day to push it. That was it. Just came inside, got some rehab and feel like I’ll be ready to go for Saturday.”

Darnold put his chances of not playing at “close to zero percent.” Head coach Mike Macdonald echoed that optimism Friday, saying the team is “really optimistic he’s going to be able to play.”

How Limited Will Darnold Be?

The bigger question is Darnold’s effectiveness. Schefter reported Saturday morning that “it’s hard to know how much, if any, he’ll be limited” despite expectations he’ll start.

Darnold hasn’t dealt with an oblique injury before in his eight-year career. He started all 17 regular season games for Seattle this year, throwing for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while leading the Seahawks to the NFC’s top seed.

The 28-year-old struggled in two meetings with San Francisco this season. He threw for just 150 yards in a Week 1 loss and 198 yards in the Week 18 win that clinched the division. Darnold didn’t throw a touchdown or interception in either game.

Drew Lock on Standby

Backup quarterback Drew Lock took first-team snaps Thursday in Darnold’s absence. Lock has never appeared in a playoff game during his seven-year career.

Lock completed two of three passes for 15 yards across 38 offensive snaps in five games this season. He’s 10-18 as a starter for his career with 34 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. Lock started five games for the Giants in 2024 before returning to Seattle.

Rookie Jalen Milroe serves as Seattle’s third quarterback. The third-round pick has played just three offensive snaps this season, rushing three times for four yards with a fumble.

Key Returns for Seattle

Left tackle Charles Cross returns after missing three games. Safety Coby Bryant is also back after sitting out two contests. Both provide significant boosts to a Seattle team that’s otherwise at full strength.

Offensive tackle Josh Jones is out with a knee injury. Tight end Elijah Arroyo and linebacker Chazz Surratt are also ruled out, but all three are backups who won’t significantly impact Seattle’s gameplan.

49ers Injury Report

San Francisco enters with major losses on defense. All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and starting safety Ji’Ayir Brown were both ruled out Friday after missing practice all week.

Fred Warner Ruled Out

Warner’s ankle injury represents San Francisco’s biggest loss. The All-Pro linebacker serves as the defensive quarterback and his absence creates a massive hole in the middle of the 49ers defense.

Warner didn’t practice Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. His absence forces the 49ers to rely on backup linebackers against Seattle’s running attack led by Kenneth Walker Jr.

Ji’Ayir Brown Also Out

Starting safety Ji’Ayir Brown is out with a hamstring injury. Brown also missed all three practices this week. His absence further depletes San Francisco’s secondary against Darnold and Seattle’s passing game.

Losing both Warner and Brown simultaneously puts significant pressure on the 49ers’ defensive depth. The secondary will need to step up against a Seahawks offense that finished 14-3 in the regular season.

Division Rivals Rematch

Seattle and San Francisco split their regular season series. The 49ers won 17-13 in Week 1 at home. The Seahawks dominated the rematch 13-3 in Week 18 to clinch the NFC West title and top seed.

This marks the first playoff game at Lumen Field with fans since January 2017. Seattle’s only other home playoff game since then came during the 2020 COVID season when they lost to the Rams in an empty stadium.

The winner advances to face either Los Angeles or Chicago in the NFC Championship Game. Tonight’s game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.