Drew Lock Draws Praise After First Seattle Seahawks Start

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock turned in a solid performance in his first start for the club.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock found himself in the most unenviable of positions on Sunday.

With Geno Smith out of the starting lineup on short notice, Lock was thrust into the starting role for the first time since joining the Seahawks in the 2022 offseason. As if that wasn't stressful enough, Seattle just so happened to be playing arguably the best team in the league in the San Francisco 49ers, and on the road no less.

Despite the odds being stacked against him, Lock didn't look half bad on Sunday. In his first start for his new team, the former second-round pick completed 22 of 31 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. It wasn't enough to get the win, as Seattle fell 28-16 to its division rival, but considering the circumstances, Lock did well for himself.

Lock leads the huddle during Sunday's game / USA TODAY

After the game, Seahawks coaches and players were quick to praise Lock for his performance.

"I thought he did a great job, right from the beginning," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters. "The opening drive was beautiful. That's a really good sign for Drew. It wasn't too big for him in any way. He wasn't too nervous, he wasn't jittery at all."

Tyler Lockett, Lock's favorite target on the day with six receptions for 89 yards, gave an especially passionate endorsement of his quarterback.

"I thought Drew played great, man," Lockett told reporters. "He put us in a chance to be able to win, first drive, went down and scored, real big time for us. I think he did everything the coaches wanted him to do and more. I'm super proud of him for being able to come through, getting this opportunity and playing at a high level."

BREAKING: Drew Lock Starting vs. 49ers, Geno Smith OUT

As for Lock himself, the former Denver Broncos quarterback was more critical of his performance. He specifically lamented the pair of interceptions, which both happened in the fourth quarter and halted the Seahawks' comeback bid.

Above all, though, Lock feels that he proved something important to the NFL world on Sunday.

"I can still go out there and do it," Lock told reporters. "It had been a long time since I've started a game. I'm confident in my legs, confident in the deep ball, confident in just dropping back and living in the pocket. It's just, confident that I am an NFL quarterback. I can take that away and take that into the next week, when and if I do get the chance."