Sam Darnold on the field throwing as usual Seahawks pregame for 49ers playoff

All signs are Sam Darnold will start the Seahawks’ first playoff game.

Questionable to play because of an oblique injury he felt in practice Thursday, the Pro Bowl quarterback was on the field throwing as usual in full pads for pregame warmups about 45 minutes before the Seahawks hosted the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC divisional playoffs at Lumen Field Saturday night.

Darnold threw a couple initial passes. He then windmilled his arms to loosen up before resuming his normal pregame routine. Darnold increased his throws to 25 yards, not throwing particularly hard and more lofting his passes.

When the team went to 11 on 11 drills, Darnold was running the starting offense, as usual. He threw passes to Jason Smith-Njigba and other starters. He wasn’t throwing all that hard, because he didn’t have to yet, still a half hour before kickoff.

Darnold had not been on the field during early pregame warmups about an hour earlier. Drew Lock threw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, AJ Barner and Seattle’s starting receivers. Rookie Jalen Milroe threw to reserves.

Then the team issued their inactive players 90 minutes before kickoff, per NFL rules. Darnold was active to play. Milroe was inactive and the emergency third quarterback, as usual.

Darnold and Lock being the team’s active quarterbacks was a sign the Seahawks were either waiting closer to kickoff to test Darnold’s oblique injury which had him questionable to play, or that he’d already tested it and they’d made their determination. “It’s just something he’s never experienced before,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider said on the team’s radio pregame show.

“I think it’s just more precautionary stuff going on.

“Luckily our medical staff (experienced) with it. And we move on.”