When Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was injured early in the team's season opener, there were fears he could miss an extended amount of time.
Not so in the end.
Darnold was no longer listed on the team's injury report on Friday, Sept. 25, and is expected to be ready to play against the Washington Commanders in Sunday's Week 3 matchup.
The Commanders, however, will be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels as he continues to recover from and elbow injury.
Darnold exited just five plays into the NFL season opener with an glute injury that was first reported to be a hip injury. Drew Lock took over for Darnold and led the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks to wins over the New England Patriots in the opener and Arizona Cardinals in Week
2.
"It's more of a muscle thing," Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said Sept. 10. "So that's good, that's good news. Now, how long that is, we don't know yet."
Darnold first participated in a full practice on Thursday, Sept. 24.
Seahawks QB depth chart
The Seahawks have three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. Below is a look at the pecking order within that unit:
- Sam Darnold
- Drew Lock
- Jalen Milroe
Milroe, a third-round pick in 2025, played sparingly during his rookie season. He logged three carries for four yards while playing in three games. The Alabama product did not attempt a pass and spent most of his season in the emergency third-string role.
Contributing: Joe Rivera, Jacob Camenker
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seahawks QB Sam Darnold cleared to return from glute injury













