As Sam Darnold prepares to reclaim his starting role under center for Seattle this weekend against Washington, Drew Lock’s impressive stint as the fill-in starter has ignited conversation around the league. With multiple starting quarterbacks across the NFL sidelined by injuries, speculation has emerged that Lock could become an attractive trade target for quarterback-needy teams. The New York Giants, who will be without Jaxson Dart for the remainder of the regular season, are among the clubs that could theoretically pursue Lock—a team he previously played for in 2024.
While the Seahawks certainly have the option to explore a trade, doing so would represent a significant gamble for a team with legitimate championship aspirations. Those advocating for a deal would argue that Seattle doesn’t anticipate Darnold missing more time this season, that Lock’s contract expires after the year, and that Jalen Milroe could step into the backup role. Under this logic, acquiring draft capital now makes sense before potentially losing Lock to free agency next spring.
However, this reasoning contains notable weaknesses. The NFL is unpredictable, and injuries can strike at any moment—Seattle cannot simply assume Darnold will remain healthy for the rest of the campaign. While Milroe theoretically could serve as the primary backup, would the coaching staff genuinely feel comfortable giving him meaningful snaps if Darnold went down? Outside of an impressive preseason showing against Kansas City in Week 3, Milroe has appeared to be a developmental prospect rather than a quarterback ready for real NFL action. Perhaps by 2027 he’ll be prepared for such responsibilities, but asking him to fill that role now would be reckless for a team built to compete for a title immediately. Lock has demonstrated he can guide this offense to victories when called upon, and respected analysts like Daniel Jeremiah have even suggested Seattle can win it all with Lock under center.
The draft compensation argument also fails to hold up under scrutiny. Yes, Seattle could secure a pick by trading Lock now, but the return likely wouldn’t justify the move. Consider the precedent from last season when Cincinnati acquired Joe Flacco from Cleveland, sending a fifth-round selection while receiving a sixth-round pick in return. While Flacco is considerably older than Lock and struggled with the Browns, the relevant parallel is that both players were on expiring contracts—meaning any team trading for Lock would essentially be acquiring a short-term rental. Consequently, Seattle would be fortunate to receive anything higher than a late Day 3 pick. The Seahawks already possess an abundance of 2027 draft selections, even after their recent trade for cornerback Avery Smith.
Furthermore, should Lock depart via free agency next offseason, Seattle would likely receive draft compensation through the NFL’s compensatory pick system anyway. Examining the 2026 compensatory selections reveals encouraging precedent: Philadelphia earned a third-round pick after losing Milton Williams, who signed with New England at an average annual value of $26 million. San Francisco received a fourth-rounder for Aaron Banks, who joined Green Bay at $19.25 million per year. These examples demonstrate that Seattle could realistically land a fourth or even third-round compensatory selection if Lock signs for more than $20 million annually next offseason—a figure that appears quite achievable given his recent performances.
Two recent quarterback contracts provide useful benchmarks for projecting Lock’s market value. Jacoby Brissett signed with Arizona at an average of $15.5 million per year, while Malik Willis inked a deal with Miami worth $22.5 million annually. Given that Lock will hit true free agency and could generate a bidding competition, his contract could more closely resemble Willis’s than Brissett’s. Additionally, at 29 years old, Lock is closer in age to Willis (27) than Brissett (33).
The bottom line is that Seattle stands to receive a third or fourth-round compensatory pick when Lock likely departs in free agency. Therefore, trading him makes little sense unless the team could secure a selection better than a third-rounder—an extremely unlikely scenario for a rental quarterback. For all these reasons, the Seahawks should resist any temptation to move Drew Lock.