Seattle Seahawks say Sam Darnold absence expected to be short-term with 'very unique' muscle injury
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 9: Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up prior to an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Lumen Field on September 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has a soft-tissue injury to his gluteus muscle, but no issue with his hip joint, a team spokesperson said on Monday.
The specific injury was dubbed "very unique" by the spokesperson. There is no firm timetable for Darnold's return, but the injury was classified as "short-term."
The timeline is uncertain as it's an uncommon injury.
The backstory:
Darnold was injured just five plays into Seattle's season opener against the New England Patriots on Wednesday night. Darnold limped to the sideline after being sacked by former Seahawk pass rusher Dre'Mont Jones on the final play of the opening drive before a Seattle punt. Darnold was evaluated on the sidelines before being taken to the locker room and eventually away from the stadium for further evaluation.
Jones landed hard on Darnold while his knee was at a 90-degree angle to the turf, which seemingly directed force back up into his hip area. The Seahawks have since ruled out any damage to Darnold's hip, characterizing the injury as one to his gluteus muscle instead. Initial concern had been for a possible hip fracture, which was ruled out by postgame X-rays and scans.
"It’s been positive news," head coach Mike Macdonald said of the injury last Thursday. "Right now we’re just working through the extent of the injury and put a plan in place to get back rocking and rolling."
Darnold was in the building at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on Monday, though he did not appear on the field with the rest of the team for practice. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV and safety Ty Okada also were not taking part in warm-ups during the media viewing time at the start of practice.
The Seahawks have not had any quarterbacks in for tryouts since Darnold's injury on Wednesday night, which may be an indication of their belief he'll be back in action sooner than later.
Drew Lock was 16-of-22 for 187 yards and a touchdown for the Seahawks in relief of Darnold against the Patriots. Jalen Milroe served as the No. 3 quarterback for the game and would presumably move into the backup role with Darnold out.
Seattle's next two games are at the Arizona Cardinals (3-14) and Washington Commanders (5-12), who both missed the playoffs by significant margins last season. The Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14, and the Commanders lost 24-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Featured
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
Sam Darnold has muscle injury in hip after leaving Seattle Seahawks opener
Seahawks' Mike Macdonald: 'We got some great news back' on Sam Darnold's hip injury
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
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.