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Sam Darnold has statistically been one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the last two seasons.
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In fact, no other quarterback in the league has won more games than Darnold over those two seasons. The quarterback has led his teams to 14-3 records in consecutive years, and he was able to cap off last year with a Super Bowl victory.
Naturally, there are big expectations for Darnold again in 2026. That’s why it was so concerning when the quarterback went down in the first quarter and never returned in Week 1.
Fortunately, the Seahawks were able to win regardless, and we learned that the injury wouldn’t be season-ending. On Sunday, we learned a little bit more about the injury and timetable.
Darnold Will Miss Week 2, Unknown After That
Mike Macdonald told everybody after the game that there was no hip fracture, which was the main concern.
On Sunday, NFL insider Jay Glazer reported that the injury is actually a tendon injury in Darnold’s glute.
“Initially, they actually thought he fractured that hip socket, which would have put him out for the year. Instead, there is a tendon injury in the glute. They’re still trying to gather information,” Glazer said on Sunday.
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That’s obviously better than the alternative, but there’s still no consensus on how long Darnold will be out.
“They’re gathering four second opinions to figure out exactly what the timetable will be, and what the plan of attack will be. He’s gonna miss next week, but we have no idea after that,” Glazer added.
So Darnold won’t play in Week 2, but he could come back after that, or he could end up missing a few more weeks. The good news is that Week 2 is against the Arizona Cardinals, which the Seahawks should be able to win even without Darnold.
Drew Lock Filled in Admirably for Darnold
Obviously, no backup is going to be just as good as Darnold has been. However, Drew Lock impressed with his opportunity, and the Seahawks now know their backup can keep them competitive.
Lock didn’t have eye-popping stats, but he did lead the team on a game-winning scoring drive, and he didn’t make any mistakes. This defense is so elite that even average quarterback play would ensure that the team is still a contender.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 12:20 PM.