Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold suffered an injury during the opening drive of the team's season-opening 13-10 win over the New England Patriots and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
The initial concern was far more serious. Medical evaluations first raised the possibility of a fractured hip socket, an injury that would have potentially ended DarnoldâÂÂs season. Further testing instead identified a tendon injury in his glute, meaning Seattle avoided that season-ending scenario.
However, the Seahawks still do not have a definitive timetable for Darnold's return. Seattle is gathering four second opinions to determine the extent of the injury, establish a recovery timeline and decide the appropriate treatment plan, according to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer. Darnold will miss the team's next game, while the outlook beyond that remains uncertain.
Article Continues BelowNFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Darnold will probably miss a couple of games, describing the muscular injury as not major. Surgery is not expected, and the Seahawks are reportedly planning to take a cautious approach.
Seattle already demonstrated that it can win without its starting quarterback. Drew Lock replaced Darnold against the Patriots and completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown in the victory. Lock owns a 10-18 record in 28 career starts, including a 1-4 mark with the New York Giants in 2024.
With Darnold unavailable, 23-year-old Jalen Milroe, a former third-round pick from Alabama, is listed behind Lock. For now, the Seahawks are focused on gathering more medical information before getting a better sense of when Darnold can return.

