The Seahawks walked away from opening night with a win, but the real story came with the sight of Sam Darnold limping off the field after just the fifth play of the season.
Darnold was hit from behind by Dre’Mont Jones, then made his way slowly to the sideline before being checked in the medical tent and eventually headed to the locker room. He was ruled out shortly after, forcing Drew Lock into action much earlier than Seattle planned.
For a moment, the concern was obvious. The play looked bad enough to threaten the quarterback’s season, and the Seahawks were left waiting for answers. But head coach Mike Macdonald delivered the kind of update that changes the mood fast.
During a halftime interview, Macdonald said, “We got to pick him up. We got faith in Drew [Lock] and he’s settled into the game now so we should be able to execute our game plan.”
Then, after Seattle’s 13-10 win, he offered the fuller picture and made it clear the team had dodged the worst outcome. “With Sam, we got some great news back.
Let’s just say it’s good news right now… Still, our thoughts and prayers are with Sam. We love him.”
Macdonald later addressed the possibility of a major structural issue and said, “At this point, we were able to rule out a fracture. So, there’s some more tests to be done, so that’s what I’m saying, [that] it’s positive.”
Darnold is still set for an MRI on Thursday to check for any tissue or ligament damage, and doctors still need to rule out serious ligament strains before he’s cleared for contact. Even so, the early read is far more encouraging than anyone feared when he left the game.
The timing helps Seattle, too. The Seahawks don’t play again until September 20th, giving Darnold and the team what amounts to a mini bye week.
In the meantime, Lock handled emergency duty after entering with 7:29 left in the first quarter. He helped guide a second late scoring drive that ended with Jason Myers drilling a 26-yard field goal to seal the 13-10 victory.
In Other News...
Rams Fans Face An Unusual Week 1 Problem Against The 49ers
The 49ers and Rams are set to open the 2026 season in a setting that already feels out of the ordinary, with their Week 1 Thursday night matchup landing in Melbourne, Australia. For fans following along from home, the pregame show begins at 6:30 p.m. ET, and the broadcast will be handled by Noah Eagle and Luke Kuechly as part of Netflixs growing NFL presence.
For Los Angeles supporters, though, the bigger wrinkle may be where they have to go to watch it. The game will stream exclusively on Netflix, marking the first time the service has carried a Thursday Night Football game outside of Christmas Day after renewing its contract with the league, a sign of how quickly the NFLs media landscape keeps shifting around a marquee NFC West rivalry. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Just Became Part Of A Much Bigger NFL Showcase
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For San Francisco, the spotlight will be as much about the event as the football, with kickoff set for 8:35 p.m. ET and halftime expected to land deep into the night back in the United States. The performance is slated to begin sometime after the break, likely between 10:45 and 11:00 p.m. ET, and the Jonas Brothers said they were excited to take the field for what is being billed as a historic NFL showcase in Australia. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Just Made Their Defensive Tackle Problem Feel Even Worse
Alfred Collins season-ending injury in practice before Week 1 only sharpened a concern the 49ers were already carrying into the opener: the interior of their defensive line suddenly looks thinner than expected. Collins was part of the group San Francisco was counting on to help stabilize the tackle rotation, and losing him this early forces the team to reconsider how it wants to piece together snaps in the middle.
The timing is especially awkward because Bryson Eason, an undrafted free agent who turned heads in training camp and the preseason, was cut by the 49ers and then landed with the Kansas City Chiefs on their practice squad. With Collins out and Eason gone, San Francisco may have to make a roster adjustment sooner rather than later to keep the defensive tackle room from becoming a problem it can no longer paper over. [Read more 🡒]