Sam Darnold Injury Raises Major Concern for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks’ title defense got off to a frightening start Wednesday night when quarterback Sam Darnold went down with a hip injury during the opening drive against the New England Patriots.

Darnold was sacked by former Seahawks defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones while trying to escape the pocket. He immediately got up limping and headed toward the sideline before entering the medical tent. He was later taken to the locker room for further evaluation and officially ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Darnold Ruled Out After Just One Series

The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Seattle.

Darnold entered 2026 as the quarterback who had just led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship. He was expected to lead Seattle’s title defense and establish himself as one of the league’s top quarterbacks.

Instead, his season began with just two pass attempts.

Darnold completed one pass for 13 yards to Jaxon Smith-Njigba before the injury ended his night. Drew Lock took over for the Seahawks and was forced to guide the defending champions through the rest of the game.

Seahawks Await More Testing

The biggest question now is the severity of Darnold’s hip injury.

Seattle sent Darnold for additional off-site testing after he was ruled out, meaning the Seahawks are still waiting for a complete diagnosis. At this point, there has been no indication that Darnold will miss an extended period, but the additional testing will determine the next steps.

The good news for Seattle is that the team managed to overcome Darnold’s absence.

Drew Lock helped lead two late scoring drives, while Seattle’s defense intercepted Patriots quarterback Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks eventually escaped with a 13-10 victory.

A Massive Story for Seattle

The Seahawks couldn’t have asked for a more dramatic opening to their championship defense.

They raised their Super Bowl banner, lost their starting quarterback almost immediately and then rallied behind their defense to win the game.

Now, however, everything depends on the upcoming medical updates.

Seattle has legitimate championship aspirations, and those hopes could look very different depending on how serious Darnold’s hip injury turns out to be.

The Seahawks survived Week 1 but the health of their franchise quarterback could determine how far they go in 2026.