SEATTLE – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will not return after injuring his hip on the first drive. 2026 NFL season Wednesday night.
Darnold was sacked by New England Patriots pass rusher Roger Draymont Jones on third-and-6 to end the Seahawks’ first series. He rolled off the field for a bit, then spent some time on the bench and went into the treatment tent. He walked slowly to the locker room with a heavy limp on his right side as he left the tent.
Darnold was initially ruled questionable and replaced by backup Drew Lock. Darnold’s condition was updated shortly before the break.
“We’ve got to pick it up,” coach Mike McDonald said of Darnold to NBC’s Kylie Hartung at halftime. “We have confidence in Weber. He’s in the game now, so we have to be able to execute our game plan. But that’s why we say ’12 as one.’ We have to pick it up.”
Lock attempted one pass — an 8-yard completion to Jaxon Smith-Njigba — on a five-play, 20-yard drive before the Seahawks punted on their second possession. He finished the first half 6 of 8 for 51 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Seattle’s running backs Jadarin Price and George Holany each had six carries.
The Seahawks offensive line, which returns all five starters from last season, did a good job of keeping Darnold upright in 2025. He was sacked 27 times during the regular season. But on Wednesday, Darnold was unable to find a target on third down and struggled against the middle of the field.
Darnold, who is in the second season of a three-year, $100.5 million deal, led Seattle to the Super Bowl LX title last season in his first year with the team. The ninth-year pro finished 67.7 percent for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions in 2025.
Locke appeared in five games for Seattle last season, completing 2 of 3 passes for 15 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The No. 42 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft made his last full-time start in 2020 with the Denver Broncos and was 4-9 in 13 starts.
Locke started five games for the New York Giants in 2024, completing 59.1 percent of his passes with six touchdown passes and five interceptions. In 41 career games (28 starts), including nine in two stints with Seattle, Locke has completed 59.6 percent of his passes with 34 touchdown passes and 28 interceptions. Perhaps his best time as a Seahawk came in his first year against the Philadelphia Eagles in Seattle Late touchdown pass In the 15th week of 2023.
This story will be updated.