The Seattle Seahawks have issued an update after quarterback Sam Darnold left the team’s season opener against the New England Patriots on the first possession with a hip injury.
“At this point, we are able to rule out a fracture,” head coach Mike Macdonald said after the game on Wednesday, September 9. “So there’s some more tests to be done. … We’re still working through all that, but right now, I think fracture is out, which is great news.”
Macdonald, 39, added, “Our thoughts and prayers with Sam. We love him.”
Darnold, 29, was injured on the Seahawks’ first drive of the game on Wednesday night, when he collided with the turf at Seattle’s Lumen Field on a sack by Patriots defensive end Dre’Mont Jones.
The quarterback limped off the field and never returned to the game. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Darnold was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for a CT scan on his hip. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday, September 10.
“The Seahawks believe that they got good news,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday morning. “They believe this is not a significant injury. The MRI is going to tell the story today. Certainly, an absence is possible. Short-term injured reserve [is] certainly something that would be in play.”
If Darnold is placed on short-term injured reserve, he would be required to sit out the Seahawks’ next four games.
Backup quarterback Drew Lock stepped up to the plate in Darnold’s absence, leading the Seahawks to a 13-10 victory over the Patriots in a rematch of February’s Super Bowl LX.
“Drew’s played really well,” Macdonald said after the game. “So any time somebody is getting an opportunity, unfortunately it’s because somebody else isn’t able to go. But you also want to feel excited for that player. So we had a lot of confidence in Drew coming in and playing at a high level.”
Lock, 29, finished 16-of-22 with 187 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 45-yard completion to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the fourth quarter.
“It’s tough losing [Sam],” Smith-Njigba said after the win. “He’s the head of the snake. But we have each other’s backs. We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in and do his thing. He’s done it time and time again.”
The Seahawks return to action on Sunday, September 20, when they travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals.
