Sam Darnold’s path back from a glute injury is still fuzzy, but the Seahawks don’t sound like a team bracing for a long absence.
A Seahawks spokesperson said Monday that Darnold is dealing with a “very unique, soft-tissue injury” that is “short-term,” though there is “no firm timeline.” That leaves his availability for Sunday’s Week 2 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz., very much unresolved.
The team is also unlikely to place Darnold on injured reserve. If that holds, it would point to a return sometime within the next four games. Darnold left Wednesday night’s 13-10 win over the New England Patriots after just five plays.
Seattle originally described the issue as a hip injury, but the spokesperson clarified Monday that the hip joint was not affected. Coach Mike Macdonald had already suggested Thursday that the problem was “more like a muscle thing.”
For now, the quarterback room is moving forward without Darnold on the field. During Monday’s practice, only Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe worked at quarterback, and the Seahawks’ next practice is set for Wednesday.
Macdonald said Thursday he didn’t know who would start against Arizona, but he also made it clear where his thinking was headed: “In my mind, I’m kind of thinking Drew is going to play.”
Lock, 29, handled the finish of the opener and made it count. He went 16 of 22 for 187 yards and a touchdown, and added a 14-yard scramble as Seattle erased a 10-0 third-quarter deficit.
The Seahawks were also without linebacker Ernest Jones IV and safety Ty Okada on Monday. Jones played all 71 snaps in the win, while Okada sat out the opener with a hamstring injury. Rodney Thomas II was brought up from the practice squad and started in his place.
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Brees reportedly worked out before ultimately deciding not to go through with it because of wrist issues, and the whole idea would have run into legal and roster hurdles anyway. Even so, the mere fact it was under consideration adds another layer to a postseason path that already felt unusual, and it is the kind of what-if that makes you wonder how differently the playoff picture might have looked if the situation had broken another way. [Read more 🡒]
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Cardinals Suddenly Look Like A Real Test For The Seahawks
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The deeper concern for Seattle is that the Cardinals did not win on offense alone. Simi Fehokos blocked punt, plus the defensive work put together by coordinator Nick Rallis, showed a team that can create problems in more than one way. After an opening-week performance like that, the Seahawks cannot assume this is the same Arizona group they saw last season. [Read more 🡒]