The Seattle Seahawks have pulled quarterback Sam Darnold from the divisional-round game versus the San Francisco 49ers.
Darnold was pulled in the fourth quarter with the Seahawks crushing the 49ers on Saturday night.
The score was 41-6 when Darnold was pulled. He completed 12-of-17 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown to zero picks before exiting.
Here's why the Seahawks made that decision.
Why Seahawks pulled Sam Darnold vs. 49ers
The answer is simple: the Seahawks are protecting their starting quarterback from getting injured in garbage time.
It's especially important the Seahawks protect Darnold after he entered the game with an oblique injury suffered in practice on Thursday that led to him being questionable.
Darnold appears to have gotten out of this game unscathed and the Seahawks will hope he's healthier for the NFC Championship Game.
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