Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold got through just one drive while opening up his defense for his title game. On the night of Wednesday, playing against the New England Patriots—which is the repeat match of the Super Bowl game that he played in February—he was tackled by Dre'Mont Jones on third-and-6 and hobbled out of the field.
Darnold first went through some tests inside the sideline medical tent before making his way to the locker room, where the Seahawks' medical staff ran more tests. He started off the day as a questionable player and was downgraded to out before halftime. Lock, a new player brought to Seattle during the offseason, got into the game on the second possession of the ball.
The Seahawks were able to win the game against the Patriots by a score of 13-10 despite having their quarterback throwing three interceptions during the game.
It is known for sure that Darnold has an injury to the right hip.
There is no set timeline for his return. Head coach of the Seahawks, Mike Macdonald, made the announcement post-game, saying that doctors were able to confirm that Darnold did not sustain any fracture and "more tests" were needed. He considered the update as "positive" but added that he does not know whether Darnold will be back in action next week.
It’s painful timing for Seattle. Darnold played all of last year’s games, throwing for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as he led the Seahawks to a franchise-high 14 wins and, eventually, the Super Bowl LX championship in his first year with Seattle, having previously played for the Jets, Panthers, 49ers, and Vikings. The 2024 season played by Darnold with the Vikings, during which he had a record-high passing yardage of 4,319 yards along with 35 touchdowns, is helping him to re-establish himself after the poor start to his NFL career with the Jets.
Now aged 29, Darnold is the captain of a Seahawks franchise that is defending its championship title, and taking time off will affect the Seahawks due to their deep roster of backup players.
While Lock is a former second rounder who started games for Denver in 2020, he is Seattle’s best backup option in case Darnold needs some time to get back to full health. The teammates quickly jumped to support their starter. "I feel like I know Sam really well. He was going to do everything he could.
"He just kind of has to go and get himself looked at," Lock said postgame. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp agreed: "In the moment, obviously, you feel bad for Sam. But at the same time, you just have to figure out what you've got to do to move on and go out there and win a football game."
The Seattle coaching staff will undoubtedly have more clarity regarding Darnold's availability as the week goes along and more results come back.
How limited he is in practice and in the game itself could influence how they proceed through the week and how much they depend on Lock.
