The start of the 2026 NFL season got off to a strong start for the Seattle Seahawks on the field, but not from a physical standpoint. Sam Darnold suffered an injury in the season opener against the New England Patriots, but Mike Macdonald revealed that the quarterback will return to practice with his teammates on Wednesday, leaving the door open for him to play in Week 3.
“Right now the plan is for him to be out there in some capacity, and we’ll go from there,” Macdonald said, via the team’s website. “How much? We’ll see from here to Wednesday what that number is, but right now that’s the goal.”
Fortunately for the coach, Drew Lock stepped up and performed very well. The Seahawks opened the season 2-0, and their pursuit of back-to-back titles is looking stronger than ever.
A bitter debut for Darnold
Sam Darnold‘s season opener with the Seahawks ended almost as soon as it started. Just five snaps into Seattle’s opening drive against the Patriots, he took a heavy hit on a third-down sack by Dre’Mont Jones and ended up with a right hip/glute injury as his leg took the brunt of the turf impact.
"He is more day-to-day than week-to-week."@RapSheet gives an update on Sam Darnold's injury status and a potential timetable for his return to action 👀 pic.twitter.com/rhV41Kpsa1
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 15, 2026
He limped straight off the field, headed into the blue tent, and was ultimately ruled out for the rest of the night after completing just 1 of 2 passes for 13 yards. Drew Lock had to step in and steady the ship to secure a tight win, but seeing the QB1 forced to the locker room on drive number one definitely sent a quick shockwave through the Seattle faithful.
Lock rises to the occasion
Drew Lock has been remarkably solid guiding the Seahawks to a 2-0 start. Over his first two appearances, he’s completed 35 of 48 passes (a sharp 72.9% completion rate) for 422 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, posting a stellar passer rating.
After game-managing a tight 13-10 win over New England with 187 yards and 1 TD, he popped off in Week 2 against Arizona Cardinals, slinging 235 yards and 3 scores in a 31-7 blowout. He hasn’t turned the ball over once, keeping Seattle’s offense steady and moving while QB1 recovers.
Drew Lock #2 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up during the second quarter of the game against the Arizona Cardinals.
What’s next for Seattle?
The Seahawks hit the road on Sunday, September 27 to take on the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. After that east-coast trip, they head right back to Seattle for a two-game home stand, first hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, October 4 at Lumen Field, followed by a massive divisional clash against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, October 11, also at Lumen Field.
Key takeaways
- Sam Darnold will return to practice in some capacity on Wednesday.
- The quarterback suffered a right hip/glute injury on his fifth snap against New England.
- Replacement passer Drew Lock recorded 422 passing yards and four touchdowns across two victories.
