09/09/26 11:12:00
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09/09 23:10 CDT Sam Darnold suffers hip injury on Seahawks' opening drive.
Fracture ruled out but more tests needed
Sam Darnold suffers hip injury on Seahawks' opening drive. Fracture ruled out
but more tests needed
By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer
SEATTLE (AP) --- Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury that
knocked him out of Seattle's season opener against the New England Patriots on
Wednesday night, a potentially significant blow to the Super Bowl champions'
title defense.
Coach Mike Macdonald said Darnold didn't break any bones while adding that more
tests were needed.
Darnold was sacked on Seattle's first series by Dre'Mont Jones, and the
quarterback's right leg appeared to take the brunt of the impact as Jones drove
him to the turf. Darnold limped off the field, was examined in the sideline
medical tent and then limped to the locker room.
The Seahawks initially said Darnold was questionable, then announced before
halftime that he would not return. Backup Drew Lock replaced him and went 16 of
22 for 187 yards and a touchdown as the Seahawks rallied for a 13-10 victory.
"At this point we were able to rule out a fracture," Macdonald said, calling
the initial diagnosis "positive."
Darnold's injury was a deflating early moment for Seattle in the rematch of
last season's Super Bowl, in which the Seahawks beat the Patriots 29-13.
Darnold, 29, did not miss a game last season as he led the Seahawks to the
title. He threw for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the
regular season as Seattle won a franchise-record 14 games.
It was his first season with the Seahawks after reviving his career with the
Vikings in 2024, when he threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Drafted third overall in the 2018 draft out of Southern California by the New
York Jets, Darnold had a 13-25 record and a 78.6 passer rating over his initial
three seasons for the Jets. He also played for the Carolina Panthers and was
the backup to Brock Purdy in San Francisco.
Darnold was 1 of 2 for 13 yards against New England before he left.
Lock was shaky at the start but with Seattle down 10-3 in the fourth quarter,
he hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba on fourth-and-1, and the star receiver dashed to the
end zone for a 45-yard touchdown.
"It's tough losing (Darnold). I mean, he's the head of the snake, but we have
each other's backs," Smith-Njigba said. "We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in
and do his thing, done it time and time again. So we just have to have each
other's backs."
Lock, 29, has spent two stints with the Seahawks. He was with Seattle from
2022-23, then spent a season with the New York Giants before returning last
year.
He played only in mop-up duty last season, completing two passes for 15 yards
in five games.
Lock, a second-round pick out of Missouri by the Broncos, started for Denver in
2020, throwing for 2,933 yards with 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
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