Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, center, is sacked by New England Patriots linebacker Dre'mont Jones, left, as Seattle Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole is at right, during the first half of an NFL football game, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, i … (Stephen Brashear / Associated Press)
SEATTLE - The Seattle Seahawks are hopeful that quarterback Sam Darnold avoided a major injury after exiting Wednesday night's game against the New England Patriots after just five plays with a hip injury.
Head coach Mike Macdonald said after the game that early word on Darnold's status was positive despite being ruled out from returning to action before halftime.
"With Sam, we got some great news back," Macdonald said. "Let's just say it's good news right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sam. We love him, and the guys really pulled through for him."
The backstory:
Darnold was sacked by former Seahawk pass rusher Dre'Mont Jones on the final play of Seattle's opening drive. With Jones riding him to the ground, Darnold's right knee landed on the turf and apparently caused an issue in his hip. Darnold limped off the field and was taken to the sideline injury tent for initial evaluation before heading into the locker room.
A report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com said Darnold was taken to Harborview Medical Center for a CT scan to help determine the severity of the injury.
While more testing will follow, Macdonald said he believes that Darnold was able to avoid a fracture.
"At this point, we were able to rule out a fracture," Macdonald said. "There's some more tests to be done, so that's what I'm saying when it's positive. But I know we're still working through all that, but right now I think fracture is out which is great news."
Darnold was 1-for-2 for 13 yards when he left the game early in the first quarter. Drew Lock replaced Darnold and led two fourth quarter scoring drives, including a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that helped Seattle rally from ten points down for a 13-10 victory. Lock was 16-of-22 for 187 yards and a touchdown for the Seahawks.
"Incredible," Macdonald said. "Yeah, I should have gave him a game ball. He'll get one tomorrow. He'll get something of mine. Maybe a belt.
"We love him. We love Drew. Guys love him. He's just a Seahawk through and through, man. … Drew's played really well, and so when he goes in there… I think anytime somebody's 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."
Three interceptions of Drake Maye help Seattle Seahawks earn 13-10 comeback win over Patriots
Backup quarterback Drew Lock led two late scoring drives and the Seattle Seahawks intercepted Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter to overcome an early injury to starter Sam Darnold and beat the New England Patriots 13-10 in a Super Bowl rematch.
The Source: Information in this story comes from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
MORE SEAHAWKS NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Three interceptions of Drake Maye help Seattle Seahawks earn 13-10 comeback win over Patriots
Sam Darnold injures hip on Seahawks' first series of opener and is ruled out for rest of game
New Seattle Seahawks owners speak ahead of season opener
New Seahawks owner: ‘The best thing we can do is not mess with a lot’
Seattle Seahawks bringing back white throwback uniform in 2027
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.