Sam Darnold got injured five snaps in of the 2026 NFL season. Immediately, the alarms went off as the Seattle Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champions. However, the latest update is a positive one.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Darnold is expected to miss next week’s game vs. Cardinals, and could maybe miss the Week 3 game vs Commanders. However, that is still a positive outlook for both Seahawks and quarterback.
Darnold was feared to suffer an injury that could put him on the injury reserve list (IR). Having said that, missing just one-to-two games could put Darnold back on the field in relative quick time.
Sam Darnold’s injury was very unfortunate
Sam Darnold is a story of resiliency. From being a third overall pick to being labeled as a disappointment, only to revive his career in great fashion and ending up winning a Super Bowl with Seattle.
#Seahawks QB Sam Darnold exited after just five plays when his right knee slammed into the turf—driving force straight through his hip. Let’s break this down pic.twitter.com/pumllGHlMJ
— MEDspiration (@MEDspirationNFP) September 10, 2026
After all that, one could say this Week 1 as a Super Bowl champ was a game Darnold was very excited to play. In just five plays, he was injured. It’s just another roadblock in the career of a player who has never given up.
The Seahawks avoided a dreaded case of needing a QB
What an NFL contender never wants is to see its starting quarterback go down. If the injury is serious, their Super Bowl case goes down the drain. However, by avoiding the worst-case scenario, the Seahawks have to stay afloat for a couple of games and resume their title defense.
If Darnold had a multi-week or a season-ending injury, the Seahawks would’ve definitely needed to trade or seek for a new signal-caller in free agency if a deep playoff run was still on their mind. While Drew Lock managed to win the game, the fact is he is not an elite QB that can carry a franchise.
