The Seattle Seahawks lost their starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, to a glute injury just five offensive snaps into their Week 1 win over the New England Patriots.
While Darnold isn't expected to be sidelined long-term, he won't be able to return to the field in time to start Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald announced at his Wednesday, Sept. 16, news conference Darnold would not play against the Cardinals in Week 2. Instead, backup quarterback Drew Lock will get a chance to make his first start since 2024 after filling in for Darnold during Week 1.
Here's what to know about Darnold's timeline for return and how long Seahawks fans can expect to see their starting quarterback out of action.
How long is Sam Darnold out?
The Seahawks have not
provided a definitive timeline for Darnold's return. However, Macdonald seemed to indicate in his Sept. 16 media availability the team doesn't believe the 29-year-old quarterback's absence will be of the long-term variety.
"I don't anticipate putting him on IR or anything like that," Macdonald said. "We'll just kinda re-evaluate every day and re-evaluate next week and we'll go from there."
Darnold would need to miss at least four games if placed on injured reserve. Macdonald's assertion that Seattle need not put him on IR indicates the team believes he should miss no more than three starts as he recovers from the glute injury.
Sam Darnold injury update
Macdonald did not provide any additional information on Darnold's injury or recovery at his Wednesday availability.
That said, the Seahawks referred to Darnold as having a "very unique soft-tissue" injury on Monday, per ESPN. The malady isn't expected to sideline the veteran quarterback long-term.
Who is Sam Darnold's backup QB?
As mentioned, Drew Lock is Seattle's backup quarterback and is expected to start as long as Darnold remains out. Lock, 29, has a career record of 10-18 as a starter and has completed 59.9% of his passes for 6,556 yards, 35 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.
Lock performed well in relief of Darnold in Week 1 against the Patriots, completing 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown.
Seahawks QB depth chart
The Seahawks currently have three quarterbacks in their organization, all of whom are on the 53-man roster. Here's the pecking order within the unit.
- Sam Darnold (injured)
- Drew Lock
- Jalen Milroe
Milroe, a 2025 third-round pick out of Alabama, will serve as the team's backup quarterback with Darnold out. He has never attempted an NFL pass, but he ran for four yards on three carries as a rookie.
The Seahawks aren't planning to add another quarterback to their roster with Darnold sidelined, as Macdonald clarified Wednesday.
"We're gonna roll with Drew and Jalen," Macdonald told reporters.
It isn't clear who the Seahawks will utilize as their emergency quarterback behind Lock and Milroe while Darnold remains out.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How long is Sam Darnold out? Injury update with Seahawks QB set to miss Week 2
