Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba was effusive in his praise of Drew Lock while also touching on what Sam Darnold meant to the team following his concerning hip injury which knocked him out of the game
Jaxon Smith-Njigba spoke on Sam Darnold's injury while also praising the job Drew Lock did as the backup
Jaxon Smith-Njigba spoke on Sam Darnold's injury while also praising the job Drew Lock did as the backup (Image: YouTube: @Seahawks Press Pass)
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba had high praise for Drew Lock in light of Sam Darnold's brutal injury in the Seattle Seahawks' 2026 NFL season opener against the New England Patriots.
Heading into the game, the expectation was high for Darnold to perform against the team Seattle beat in Super Bowl LX. Before the quarterback could have a chance to make an impact, he would be lost for the rest of the game.
After fewer than 10 snaps, Darnold suffered a hip injury after being sacked by a Patriots player, causing him to limp off the field and miss the rest of the game. Drew Lock came in as Darnold's replacement and led Seattle to an impressive 13-10 come-from-behind win over New England, leading the star wide receiver to heap praise upon Lock.
"Yeah it's tough. It's tough losing 14," Smith-Njigba began to reporters after the win. "I mean, he's the head of the snake, but we have each other's backs. We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in and do his thing. Done it time and time again. So we just have to have each other's back, like I'm saying, and I'm just super proud of everybody."
Before his injury, Darnold completed one of his two passing attempts for 13 yards. Once Lock stepped in following Darnold's injury, he completed 16-of-22 pass attempts for 187 yards, including one touchdown and, most importantly, the win.
Though he came into the game as a backup, Lock commanded the attention of his teammates, which Smith-Njigba noted. "Very confident," he added. "Drew's a ball player. He comes in and demands the huddle, and he wants to sling, throw the ball around. Like I said, full confidence in Drew."
Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks carries the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half of the NFL football game at Lumen Field on September 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington
Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury very early in the Seattle Seahawks' season opener against the New England Patriots(Image: Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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The 24-year-old let fans know that with Lock, they can expect a "a playmaker" who loves to be out on the field and "ball out," in Smith-Njigba's words.
"You can just see it on him, and it's affectionate, whatever, on the team and s--- like that. And you can feel it. And it's exciting, you know, to see him ball out and throw it around and demand a huddle," the star stated.
As for Darnold, the Seahawks are awaiting word on just how serious his hip injury is and how many weeks, if any, the star will be sidelined.
It was reported that the 29-year-old had undergone a CT scan on his hip at a local hospital and while the initial test was "encouraging," it was inconclusive and Darnold will therefore undergo an MRI the next day.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald spoke about the team's resilience in recovering from Darnold's injury and overcoming the deficit. Additionally, the coach gave a brief update on the star quarterback's recovery after his injury.
"Drew Locke deserves a gigantic shout-out for playing clean football," Macdonald told reporters after the win. "And, you know, we'll improve our operation. It's really everybody on board. But we can get so much better very quickly."
Regarding Darnold, the coach said, "And with Sam, we got some great news back. It's good news right now. So I know our thoughts and prayers with Sam. We love him. And the guys really pulled through for him."
The Seahawks are back in action on Sept. 20 against the Arizona Cardinals.