QB Sam Darnold back Sunday, but Seahawks down two safeties

RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will start Sunday against the Washington Commanders, but the defending Super Bowl champions will be without both starting safeties as Julian Love and Ty Okada have been ruled out.

Backup defensive tackle Brandon Pili (concussion/neck) is questionable. No other Seahawks player has a game designation.

Darnold missed most of the first two games with a glute injury he suffered early in the season opener. He was limited Wednesday in his return to practice and was a full participant Thursday and Friday. Coach Mike Macdonald said Friday that Darnold looked "really good" this week.

"Sam's going to play, and he's ready to go," Macdonald said. "He's done a great job."

Speaking with reporters Thursday, Darnold said he briefly feared that his season might be over -- and that his career could be impacted long term -- when he was hurt on the fifth play of Seattle's Week 1 win over the New England Patriots. After backup Drew Lock led Seattle to a 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals and a 2-0 start last week, Macdonald said Darnold's timetable had "shifted quite drastically" for the better.

Macdonald was asked Friday what he needed to see from Darnold this week.

"Really just to see him confident in the things that he's been doing," Macdonald said. "He's been really positive and says he feels great. He looks great, so we'll rolling. It's a medical miracle he's back."

Rodney Thomas II will make his third straight start for Okada, who remains out with a hamstring injury. Macdonald said AJ Finley will start for Love, who popped up on the injury report as a nonparticipant Thursday when a calf tightened up. Love was again a nonparticipant Friday. Macdonald said he doesn't know how much time Love will miss.

Love has an interception in three straight games dating to Seattle's Super Bowl LX win over New England.

Finley will make his first start since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi in 2023. Claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Chargers in November 2024, Finley missed all of last season after tearing an ACL in the team's annual training camp practice at Lumen Field. After intercepting Darnold during the same event this summer, Finley acknowledged how meaningful it was to him, calling it a "full-circle moment."

"You're really bummed about Julian obviously because he's had such a great start to the season and he's such a great player," Macdonald said. "But when AJ got the pick in training camp, I'm thinking about the journey he's been on over the last year and the way he's really gotten his body back and his movement. He had a great practice today. He's on it. He's sharp as a whip, great communication, ball skills, all those things. So I'm excited for him to have the opportunity."

Okada is still unable to practice.

"It's just a day-to-day to week-to-week type of thing," Macdonald said. "So for him to come back ... he's got to start making a little more progress. But he's a stud, he's working his tail off."

Nick Emmanwori, who plays extensively in the box as Seattle's third safety, was a full participant for the third straight day. Macdonald said this week that Emmanwori is in line for a significantly larger workload than the nine snaps he got last week in his return from July ankle surgery.

Rookie running back Jadarian Price, who started the first two games, progressed to full participation Friday after a chest/shoulder injury limited him Wednesday and Thursday.

"He's taken a ton of reps," Macdonald said. "Excited to see him to go play. He's ready to go."

Running back Zach Charbonnet -- Seattle's co-starter last season -- has to miss at least two more games while on the physically unable to perform list. The Seahawks did not open his 21-day practice window this week. Macdonald said Friday that they might do so next week.