It’s not even a flag day yet and Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is already asked about Sam Darnold’s grip in the starting lineup.
In an interview about Seattle Sports 710 on Tuesday, MacDonald was asked if there were any circumstances outside of an injury where Darnold was not week 1.
“No, you are crazy,” Macdonald said, shaking your head slightly at the inquiry. “I respect you have to ask it, but it’s just a crazy question. It just won’t happen. Sam is our starting team manager. We love him. He is doing a huge job.”
The question came the day after Darnold reportedly had a roller coaster day at an open OTA meeting.
Macdonald stated that there were some mistakes from the team manager but emphasized that he bounced back from the errors. The coach added that it was time to create this misunderstanding so that they can be corrected for the season.
“God prevented you are the worst payer of all time because you made one bad throw or one bad decision,” said Macdonald following the ironic riff of outside season. “That’s not what we’re trying to build. We want these boys to start preparing the right way and when they go out in the practice area, go to let it tear it, and then we will fix it. We have time. It’s June 3. They’re going to get enough reps. Question.”
There are plenty of legitimate concern that Darnold is taking over the center of an improved violation in Seattle. However, one bad OTA meeting does not change the fact that he is a starter week 1. Drew Lock showed last year in New York that he was a copy. And the newcomer Jalen Milroe, who goes well as Qb3 in Ota, has open to the media, has ways to go before he is ready to deal with Darnold.
Macdonald is right to mocket questions about what his starting team will be at this stage. The better question is how the broken, with a new and Klit Kubiak, aims to ensure that these mistakes from Darnold are corrected now and not mixed, as we saw from the team manager late last season.