Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Out vs. Cardinals: Survivor Read

Darnold ruled out for Seattle

The Seahawks have ruled out quarterback Sam Darnold for Sunday's matchup with the Cardinals. Darnold hurt his glute in Seattle's season-opening win on Wednesday and won't play, leaving the offense in the hands of a backup for this one.

What it means for your survivor pick

Losing your starting quarterback is exactly the kind of variable that should make a survivor player pause. Seattle just won its opener, but a game plan built around Darnold looks different when someone else is under center against a division rival. Cardinals matchups within the NFC West are rarely blowouts, and adding quarterback uncertainty on top of that raises the risk on what might otherwise have looked like a manageable pick.

If you were eyeing the Seahawks this week, the safer move is to look elsewhere and keep Seattle in your back pocket for a spot where Darnold is healthy and the matchup is cleaner. There's no need to burn a survivor life on a team playing without its Week 1 starter. If you're still building your bracket for the season, you can start a free survivor pool or brush up on how survivor pools work before you lock anything in — and lean on more survivor analysis as the injury picture clears.