The Seattle Seahawks will be without Sam Darnold for their Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, but the timing of the team’s announcement seems questionable to some, especially given its decision to disclose the quarterback’s injuries.

Coach Mike Macdonald confirmed Wednesday that Darnold would miss Sunday’s game because of a quad injury suffered late in Seattle’s 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Mike Florio Questions Seahawks’ Decision To Announce Sam Darnold’s Absence Early

While the coach disclosed the injury, Macdonald also revealed that the quarterback had played through a cracked rib for nearly the entire game.

Darnold suffered the injury on the second play against Chicago after taking a hard hit from blitzing cornerback Kyler Gordon. He did not report the issue to the coaching or medical staff during the game and continued playing through the final whistle.

He finished with two touchdown passes despite the injury, and Seattle’s coaches and medical staff did not learn about the cracked rib until after the game.

The decision to reveal the extent of Darnold’s injuries, however, prompted NFL analyst Mike Florio to question why Seattle chose to announce the quarterback’s absence on Wednesday rather than wait until later in the week.

Speaking on “NFL on NBC” with Chris Simms, Florio said the Seahawks could have followed the league’s injury reporting rules without immediately confirming that Darnold would miss Sunday’s game.

“So they got a lot of faith in Drew Lock. I just think that this idea that Wednesday, out of the blue, they tell us that Sam Darnold is out with a quad injury. They tell us that he’s week to week, which usually means you’re going to miss a couple of weeks. They didn’t have to tell us that,” Florio said.

“Now I appreciate the transparency, because what they could have done, they could have just put him down as did not practice. They could have done that yesterday. They could have done it today. They could have done it tomorrow, and then they could have called him out on Friday,” the analyst continued.

“But they decided to just lead with their chin on this, which I thought was strange. It’s definitely unusual, and it forfeits the uncertainty that the Cardinals would have as to who they’re getting ready for. Now they know they’re getting ready for Drew Lock or Jalen Milroe,” Florio added.

Drew Lock is expected to start against Arizona, although his availability for Seattle is not settled. The veteran is managing a right-elbow injury and was listed as limited on Wednesday’s estimated injury report after Seattle held a walkthrough.

Lock previously started against the Cardinals in Week 2, completing 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-7 Seahawks victory.

With Lock dealing with the elbow issue, Macdonald said Milroe will also receive first-team practice repetitions this week. The second-year quarterback is being prepared to take over if Lock is unable to play or cannot finish the game.

Milroe has yet to start an NFL regular-season game or attempt a pass in a regular-season matchup. His mobility would give Seattle a different option at quarterback, although a potential start would present a significant challenge for the second-year quarterback.

Darnold, meanwhile, is considered week-to-week and has not been placed on injured reserve. The cracked rib could potentially be managed while playing, but the quad injury is expected to keep him out against Arizona.

The quarterback has also been under the gaze following a difficult stretch in which he has thrown nine interceptions over his last six games. He currently has a grade of 71.5 on PFN’s NFL QB Impact metrics.