The Seattle Seahawks got quite a scare when quarterback Sam Darnold went down with an injury on the first drive of the 2026 season. It was initially called a "hip" injury, but then described as a glute issue. The team officially stated it's a very unique soft-tissue injury, but Darnold's hip joint is unaffected.
This is not expected to be an injury that will keep Darnold out for long, but he's not ready to return just yet. The Seahawks have ruled out Darnold for their Week 2 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, putting Drew Lock in line to make his first start for Seattle since 2023. What's important to note is that the team has no plans to place Darnold on injured reserve.
That development in itself means Darnold could miss fewer than four games, and the reporting backs that up. ESPN reports that Darnold could miss roughly four weeks, but the hope is that he can return sooner. Jeremy Fowler reported that Darnold is already moving around better in recent days.
Seahawks schedule
| Week | Opponent |
|---|---|
2 | at Arizona Cardinals |
3 | |
4 | |
5 | |
| 6 | at Denver Broncos |
Darnold ranked top five in the league in QB wins (28), passing yards (8,367) and passing touchdowns (60) from 2024-25, and he has not missed a game due to injury since 2021. The only reigning Super Bowl-winning quarterback to miss significant time due to injury in the past 15 seasons was Matthew Stafford in 2022, who missed eight games.
Lock stepped in for Darnold last week and completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown in the eventual 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots. One highlight was a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on fourth-and-1; it was the second-longest Seattle touchdown on fourth down since 2000, according to CBS Sports Research. Lock is 10-18 as a starter in his career.
While Arizona was the worst team in the NFC West last year, the Cardinals upset the Chargers in their season opener, 26-14. It was the largest Week 1 upset (9.5 points) since 2018 and the first NFL opening-game loss Jim Harbaugh has ever suffered.
