Sam Darnold’s night took a hard turn early in Seattle’s opener against the Patriots, and new slow-motion footage shows the exact moment the Seahawks quarterback went down.
The injury happened on the first offensive drive of the game after edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones brought Darnold down. As Darnold tried to slip away from a collapsing pocket, Jones got him from behind and the contact drove Darnold’s right knee into the turf first. Lumen Field went quiet right away once it became clear he was hurt.
Darnold was able to get back on his feet and walk off under his own power, but he was limping heavily as he headed toward the sideline. He then went into the blue medical tent for further examination before making his way to the locker room.
With Darnold sidelined, backup quarterback Drew Lock started warming up immediately and was ready to step in. The team later said Darnold was questionable to return, and Lock took over under center for Seattle’s second offensive possession. He is more than likely going to play at least until the first half is over.
The Seahawks’ offense looks different without Darnold, even with a strong defense in place, and the ground game figures to carry more of the load while he’s out.
Darnold came into 2025 off a career-defining regular season, one in which he led Seattle to a 14-3 record and a Super Bowl LX victory. He started all 17 games, finished fifth in the NFL in passing yards and earned his second career Pro Bowl selection.
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