The Seahawks lost quarterback Sam Darnold to a hip injury early in Wednesday night's season opener against the Patriots, with the 29-year-old needing to be taken to the hospital for further analysis
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold limped out of Wednesday's season-opener against the New England Patriots
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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has provided a positive update on the condition of quarterback Sam Darnold after the 29-year-old was forced off through injury and sent to the hospital during Wednesday night's victory over the New England Patriots.
The Seahawks lost Darnold to a hip injury before the first quarter was even out at Lumen Field after he was sacked on third down during the opening drive of the game, forcing him to limp off the field and be taken into the blue medical tent for evaluation.
Not long after, Darnold was spotted heading to the locker room with a team physician, and soon enough, it emerged that he had been ruled out of the game entirely before the first half was even over - a fate also suffered by Patriots debutant A.J. Brown later in the game.
However, the reigning Super Bowl champions rallied to come from behind and secure an opening-night win against the same team they defeated to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy earlier this year, overturning a 10-0 deficit to emerge 13-10 winners.
Much of the post-match chatter, though, focused on Darnold's condition, with reports that he had been taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for a CT scan of his hip.
The initial test was encouraging but inconclusive, and Darnold is now scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday, though Macdonald remained upbeat on the condition of his starting quarterback when speaking with reporters after the game.
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
Darnold suffered a hip injury very early in Wednesday's season opener against the Patriots(Image: Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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"With Sam, we got some great news back," Macdonald said. "Let's just say it's good news right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sam; we love him, and the guys really pulled through for him."
He added: "At this point, we were able to rule out a fracture. There's some more tests to be done, so that's what I'm saying when it's positive. We're still working through all of that, but right now, fracture is out, which is great news."
Macdonald did, however, say it is too soon to know Darnold's prognosis for Seattle's Week 2 game in Arizona, 10 days from now, when the Seahawks travel to State Farm Stadium to face the Cardinals on Sunday, September 20.
"I really don't know," Macdonald said. "I don't know what the extent is."
Wednesday's season-opening victory ensured the Seahawks got off to the perfect start as they aim to become the first NFC team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the 1993 Dallas Cowboys.
That's despite a concerning set of pre-season results, in which the franchise opened with back-to-back defeats to the Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans before ending with a draw against the Kansas City Chiefs, going 0-2-1.
However, Seattle rallied behind backup quarterback Drew Lock and a defense that forced three late interceptions to secure a victory over the Patriots on Wednesday night, scoring 13 straight points, including a touchdown reception by Jaxon Smith-Njigba.