Drew Lock Opens Up on Decision to Return to Seahawks in Free Agency

The Seattle Seahawks made a big change at quarterback this offseason, as they traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and replaced him by signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract in free agency. However, those weren’t the only two moves the front office made at this position over the past few months.

The Seahawks also addressed their depth behind Darnold, reuniting with Drew Lock in free agency on a two-year, $5 million deal. While he doesn’t really have a shot at starting with Seattle in 2025, Lock still wanted to return to the team once he hit the open market, and he recently explained why that was the case.

Drew Lock Opens Up on Big Free Agency Decision

Lock broke into the NFL back in 2019 as a second-round pick with the Denver Broncos. While he started a handful of games for them, including 13 in 2020, he never truly found his footing with the team, and he ended up getting traded to the Seahawks as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Russell Wilson to the Broncos.

In 2022, Lock didn’t take the field after losing the team’s quarterback competition to Geno Smith, before filling in for him in four games the next season. Lock spent the 2024 season with the New York Giants, playing in five games for them after the team released their previous starter, Daniel Jones. In eight games, five of which were starts, Lock threw for 1,071 yards and six touchdowns, while also rushing for 133 yards and another pair of scores.

When he hit the open market, it was clear that a starting gig was not coming Lock’s way, as he was likely going to have to settle for a backup role. That opportunity came his way when the Seahawks came calling, and it didn’t take long for Lock to put pen to paper. When explaining why he opted to return to Seattle, Lock said it was simply too good an opportunity for him to pass up.

“This is a special place for me,” Lock said, per Stacy Rost of Seattle Sports. “I loved this organization for the two years I was here. Love the city, my wife loves the city. But when we were prepping going against Mike Macdonald’s defense (with the Baltimore Ravens), we had a long week of talks about what we’re going to do, how we’re going to attack this. With him being here, you know your defense is going to come to play.

“Just the trajectory of this team, bringing Sam in, it’s just an exciting time here. It was something I couldn’t pass up.”

Drew Lock Embracing Reunion with Seahawks

GettySeahawks quarterback Drew Lock at Lumen Field on November 12, 2023.

In an ideal world, Lock would have landed a starting job this offseason, but he simply didn’t play well enough for that to materialize. By returning to the Seahawks, he’s putting himself in a position to potentially play if Darnold ends up being unable to go, and his familiarity with the team’s offensive system could help him play his best football if he ends up on the field.

For Seattle, an ideal world involves Lock not taking the field for them in 2025, but if he does, they have confidence he can come in and at least hold his own if Darnold is forced to miss time. And if Lock gets on the field, he could surprise some folks based on his familiarity with the team’s offense from his previous stint in town.