The Seahawks fought back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, giving themselves an opportunity to complete the comeback. However, Darnold threw an interception late in regulation before committing another turnover on Seattle’s first possession of overtime. Denver capitalized on the second mistake to set up the field goal that ended the game.

Darnold delivered a blunt assessment of his performance, making it clear he knows he must improve. “I just think it’s B.S. for me to keep turning the ball over. It’s not fair to our defense. It’s not fair to our special teams group. It’s not fair really to the entire team. So, I’ve got to be better. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. That one sucked. Can’t turn the ball over. That’s obviously at the forefront of my mind, but there’s just a lot that we can do better.”

Sam Darnold’s turnovers prove costly in Seahawks loss

Sam Darnold’s two interceptions came at critical moments, preventing Seattle from completing a comeback that had seemed possible late in the fourth quarter. His first interception halted a promising drive, while the second gave Denver the opportunity to win without needing to produce another first down in overtime.

The quarterback’s mistakes were particularly frustrating because Seattle’s defense had limited the Broncos after their early scoring drives. Denver’s offense struggled to generate much late in the game, but the turnovers gave the home team the opening it needed. Darnold finished the night with 278 passing yards and two interceptions, while also being sacked five times.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald also emphasized the importance of protecting the football, while acknowledging that the offense needs to improve its protection of Darnold.

The quarterback’s willingness to accept responsibility was clear, but Seattle will need a more consistent offensive performance to avoid similar results in upcoming games. The loss left the Seahawks at 3-3, adding further urgency to their efforts to address the team’s turnover problems.

Key takeaways

• Sam Darnold accepted responsibility for Seattle’s loss to Denver.
• Two interceptions proved costly in the overtime defeat.
• The Seahawks might be in trouble with a 3-3 record early in the season.

The first interception came in the final two minutes of regulation, when the Seahawks had an opportunity to take control of the game. Darnold’s pass was intercepted by Kris Abrams-Draine, ending a promising drive, although Seattle’s defense gave the offense another chance to tie the score and force overtime.

However, Darnold’s second interception proved decisive. On Seattle’s first possession of overtime, Ja’Quan McMillian picked off the quarterback’s pass, giving Denver favorable field position. The Broncos capitalized on the mistake with Wil Lutz’s 53-yard field goal, dropping Seattle to 3-3 after its second consecutive defeat.

Mike Macdonald sends clear message to Sam Darnold after loss vs Broncos

Mike Macdonald did not hide his frustration with Seattle’s inability to protect the football after the loss. The Seahawks had fought back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but the turnovers ultimately undermined their comeback effort.

The head coach wasn’t happy with Darnold’s decisions in crucial moments of the game. “We have to take care of the ball. Sam knows that. He told the team that. We’ve got to take care of the ball.”

The Seahawks coach also stressed that the quarterback cannot be held responsible for every offensive problem. Darnold faced consistent pressure throughout the game, and Macdonald acknowledged that the offensive line must do a better job protecting him while the offense makes quicker decisions with the football.

“Our quarterback got hit too much today. We’ve got to do a better job protecting him and we’ve got to be more decisive with the football. We don’t want to take those hits, but they rushed and covered well.”

The message from Macdonald was clear: Seattle must improve both its ball security and its pass protection if it wants to turn its season around. Darnold has taken responsibility for his mistakes, but the Seahawks’ offensive struggles extend beyond the interceptions.

With extra time to prepare before their next game against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 25, Seattle will have an opportunity to address the issues that contributed to another narrow defeat.

Key takeaways

• Seattle lost 17-14 in overtime to the Denver Broncos after turning the ball over.
• Sam Darnold threw two fourth-quarter and overtime interceptions in the defeat.
• Coach Mike Macdonald demanded better ball security and protection for Sam Darnold.

Both teams went into deep playoff runs last season, with the Broncos losing in the AFC Championship game, while the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. However, much has changed.

Both starting quarterbacks have dealt with either injuries or dips in form have conditioned the offense of both sides so far. Hence, the QB depth charts matter a lot when it comes to this game between Broncos and Seahawks.

Broncos QB depth chart vs Seahawks

Bo Nix is still scheduled to start despite early season woes. This will be the second game with Sean Payton calling the plays instead of offensive coordinator Davis Webb. However, it’s a tough matchup against an elite defense. Anyway, this is the full QB depth chart for the Broncos:

• Bo Nix
• Jarrett Stidham
• Sam Ehlinger

Seahawks QB depth chart vs Broncos

Sam Darnold has seemingly recovered from an early-season hip injury and he should play the whole game. However, in case he fails, backup Drew Lock has shown glimpses of good talent, and this would be a game against the team that originally drafted him. This is the full depth chart:

• Sam Darnold
• Drew Lock
• Jalen Milroe

Key takeaways

• Bo Nix is scheduled to start at quarterback for Denver despite early-season struggles.
• Sean Payton is calling offensive plays for Denver instead of coordinator Davis Webb.
• Sam Darnold has recovered from an early-season hip injury to start for Seattle.

The Commanders’ depth chart took a hit following Daniels’ injury, which appears to have avoided the worst-case scenario. For this game, the primary backup behind Mariota will be rookie Athan Kaliakmanis.

Things appear to be much clearer for the Seahawks, especially with Darnold’s return. The primary alternative at the position is Drew Lock, who played a significant role in Weeks 1 and 2, while Jalen Milroe sits further down the QB room.

Daniels’ status is week-to-week

It was a scary moment for Washington during their Week 2 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys when Jayden Daniels went down with a dislocated left elbow right before halftime while trying to brace his fall. Fans were bracing for the worst—especially given his past elbow troubles—but the latest medical evaluations brought some relief, ruling out IR for now.

He is currently considered week-to-week, and while surgery isn’t immediately on the table as he attempts a quick return, medical experts suggest a potential procedure at the end of the season might still be needed to fix ligament joint laxity once and for all.

Darnold’s highly anticipated return

The Seahawks held their breath in the season opener against the New England Patriots when Sam Darnold went down after taking a heavy sack on the very first drive. What was initially feared to be a serious hip or leg issue turned out to be a weird soft-tissue glute injury, which kept him sidelined for Week 2 against Arizona.

Fortunately for Seattle, Drew Lock stepped in and kept the offense humming, leading his team to a 2-0 record and keeping them among the top contenders in the NFC.

Key takeaways

• Marcus Mariota will start for Washington, while Sam Darnold returns as Seattle’s primary quarterback.
• Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis will serve as the Commanders’ primary backup quarterback behind Mariota.
• Jayden Daniels is considered week-to-week after suffering a dislocated left elbow against Dallas.

“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 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.

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.

Darnold was injured just five snaps into the season opener when he was taken down on a sack and immediately showed discomfort. He initially went to the sideline for evaluation before leaving the game, with Drew Lock taking over at quarterback and helping Seattle secure the victory.

The Seahawks later clarified that Darnold’s hip joint was unaffected and described the injury as a “very unique soft-tissue injury” involving his glute. The team does not consider the injury long-term, but Darnold has not recovered quickly enough to return against Arizona.

Is Sam Darnold playing today for Seahawks against Cardinals?

No, Sam Darnold is not playing today against the Cardinals. Head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed that Darnold would miss Week 2, but the good news for Seattle is that the team does not anticipate placing its starting quarterback on injured reserve.

That means the Seahawks can continue monitoring Darnold’s recovery without committing to a lengthy absence. Macdonald said Darnold is progressing well and expressed optimism about his return, although he did not provide a specific timetable.

Drew Lock will start in Darnold’s place after stepping in during the season opener. Jeremy Fowler previously reported that Darnold could possibly miss Week 3 as well, while more recent reports have pointed to Week 4 as a more likely return target. Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers is also a potential target if Seattle takes a more cautious approach, but there is no official return date yet.

When asked about Darnold, Macdonald said “He’s on his way back. Is it next week? Is it the week after, the week after that? I’m not sure. I’m optimistic, put it that way.” Hence, no return date has been established yet, but all things point to a great evolution by Darnold.

In the meantime, the Seahawks will have to face divisional rivals Cardinals without their Super Bowl-winning signal-caller. They already beat the Patriots without Darnold, but that doesn’t make it easy.

How did Drew Lock play vs Patriots?

With Drew Lock basically a sure starter in Week 2, the fact is that he wasn’t stellar in Week 1, but he was effective enough. At the end of the game, the Seahawks won and the Patriots fell to 0-1.

Lock completed 16/22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. However, his main mission was not to turn the ball over, and he accomplished that. As long as Lock doesn’t give away the ball, the Seahawks defense can manage to win football games.

The Cardinals are off an emotional win

No one saw the Cardinals winning away at the Chargers in Week 1, but they looked composed and ready to go. They pulled off the upset of the week and now are in a crash-down spot.

Usually, teams off an emotional, unlikely win tend to crash down during the next game. Hence, the Cardinals need to battle that moment as they face the Seahawks, who had a long week to prepare for this game.

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.

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.

Seahawks backup quarterback Lock was next in the quarterback depth chart of the Seattle Seahawks and took over the main duties. Though Darnold was ruled out of the game with a hip injury following a hit from a Patriots‘ defensive lineman, there may be no reason to panic in the Emerald City.

“With Sam [Darnold], we got some great news back. Let’s just say it’s good news right now,” Macdonald said about the injured quarterback who left the season opener after the opening offensive drive.

“Sam Darnold received positive news following his CT scan and coach Mike Macdonald said doctors ruled out a fracture. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow for more info, but the belief after an X-Ray and CT scan is Darnold avoided major injury,” Ian Rapoport reported. “MRI will be the final word.“

Injuries were major topic in NFL’s curtain raiser

In his first start of the 2026 NFL season, Darnold only managed to throw two pass attempts, completing one for a 13-yard gain to star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Now, his status going forward remains uncertain, but it seems disaster has been averted.

The Patriots may not be able to say the same about A.J. Brown, who left the game with an ankle injury. The Seahawks were already without Zach Charbonnet in Week 1 against the Patriots and to start the new season, losing their star QB would rub salt in their wounds.

Seahawks face QB trouble in depth chart

Against the Patriots, Jalen Milroe served as the Seahawks’ third and emergency quarterback. The second-year quarterback out of Alamaba has yet to throw a pass in his NFL career. Because he was the emergency QB, Milroe could only enter the game if Lock suffered an injury.

Early signs suggest otherwise, but if Darnold’s injury still, somehow, turns out to be serious, Mike Macdonald and company will have to go shopping early for a quarterback in the 2026 NFL season. Even if they trust Lock, the Seahawks will need depth options.

Darnold injury could derail the season

Injuries happen and affect every team across the 18-week NFL season. However, losing the starting quarterback on the opening drive of Week 1 is unlike anything anyone could have seen coming.

As if Seattle didn’t know that going back-to-back in the league is a hard task, it was reminded right away. Just as the Super Bowl championship banner went up, the franchise quarterback went down injured. The champions put their pedigree to good use, though. They weathered the storm, came away with a crucial Week 1 victory, and may have dodged a major bullet with Darnold’s health.

What about the main backups behind these stars? For the Seahawks, Drew Lock will be Mike Macdonald’s first alternative at quarterback. Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel’s Patriots will have veteran Tommy DeVito as their top backup option.

Both teams have something in common heading into their season opener. Seattle and New England opted to protect their starting QB’s during the preseason, as neither Darnold nor Maye saw any playing time throughout the exhibition games.

Super Bowl LX rematch

The Seahawks and Patriots were the protagonists of the most recent Super Bowl, which ended with a 29–13 victory for the NFC side. This Week 1 matchup could represent a chance at revenge for the Foxborough team, although many may not see it that way, viewing it instead as a fresh start for both teams.

The 2026 NFL season kicks off

Nearly 69,000 fans are expected to attend the opening game of the 2026 NFL season starting on Wednesday, as both Seahawks and Patriots look to get their campaigns off to a winning start. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 PM ET, with temperatures expected to be around 73.4°F at game time.

Key absences on both teams

The injury report for this matchup features two notable absences, one for each team. For the Seahawks, starting safety Ty Okada will miss the game due to a hamstring injury, while the Patriots will be without one of their key running backs, as TreVeyon Henderson is also sidelined with an ankle injury.

Sam Darnold, however, already proved last season that he can be the franchise quarterback Seattle envisioned. With Darnold leading the offense and a defense capable of carrying the team through difficult games, the Seahawks believe they have a legitimate chance to make another deep playoff run.

That is precisely why Darnold will not be playing today against the Tennessee Titans. Head coach Mike Macdonald has little reason to expose his starting quarterback to unnecessary preseason contact, particularly with the regular season approaching and the Seahawks opening their campaign earlier than most teams.

Why isn’t Sam Darnold playing against the Titans?

Sam Darnold’s absence is a precautionary decision. The Seahawks already know what they have in their starting quarterback, so there is little to gain from giving him additional preseason snaps and plenty to lose if he were to suffer an injury.

Seattle’s quarterback room also appears much more settled than those of several other NFL teams. Darnold is firmly established as the starter, meaning the preseason is primarily about evaluating the players behind him rather than determining who will lead the offense when the games count.

The timing makes the decision even more understandable. The Seahawks will open the regular season on September 9 against the New England Patriots, giving Macdonald another reason to prioritize Darnold’s health and preparation over preseason reps.

Who is starting quarterback today for Seahawks vs Titans?

With Sam Darnold sitting out, Drew Lock is expected to start at quarterback against Tennessee. Lock should receive several series as the Seahawks give their veteran backup an opportunity to run the offense in live-game conditions.

After Lock’s work is complete, Jalen Milroe could take over. Milroe is one of the most intriguing young players on Seattle’s roster and will use the preseason to continue developing behind Darnold.

The matchup therefore gives the Seahawks a chance to evaluate their depth without putting their most important offensive player at unnecessary risk. Lock’s experience and Milroe’s upside offer Seattle two very different options behind Darnold.