Good things come to those who wait, even to much-maligned NFL quarterbacks. After failing to launch in the Mile High City, the Denver Broncos included Drew Lock in the blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Russell Wilson in March of 2022.

On the heels of battling both Teddy Bridgewater and a head-coaching regime that a.) didn’t believe in Lock, and b.) didn’t give him the tools to succeed, Lock exited Denver with a fair amount of ignominy attached to his name. The vagaries of Drew Lock Syndrome (DLS) were pervasive in Denver, and they only intensified when he failed to beat out Geno Smith for the starting job in Seattle.

Nevermind that Lock caught COVID-19 at the penultimate worst possible time in that open QB competition, missing precious bites at the preseason apple to earn the gig. The Seahawks ultimately went with Smith, and it was the right decision as he led the team to a Wildcard berth and earned the first Pro Bowl honors of his career.

That came with a fat new contract for Smith, too, but his 2023 campaign hasn’t been as magical, and he’s battled some injury issues, missing a couple of starts. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are patting themselves on the back for re-signing Lock to a one-year backup deal th

Now, publications like The Seattle Times are saying that Lock “became a Seattle legend” by vanquishing the Eagles on Monday night. It was a game Seattle absolutely had to have. Columnist Matt Calkins wrote:

is past offseason, especially on the heels of his impressive comeback to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15.

Now, publications like The Seattle Times are saying that Lock “became a Seattle legend” by vanquishing the Eagles on Monday night. It was a game Seattle absolutely had to have. Columnist Matt Calkins wrote:

It was a physical, hard-fought game where Lock had to make some amazing decisions and throws to put his team over the top, many of which were the caliber of big-boy plays he hinted at being capable of in Denver and flashed only rarely.

Lock’s numbers in the box score on Monday night won’t blow anyone away, finishing 22-of-33 for 208 yards and a touchdown, with a QB rating of 94.0, but he looked like a significantly more polished and poised player than he was in Denver. And he saved his best play for the clutch.