E-Paper
What happened to Sam Darnold? Seahawks QB injury update as backup Drew Lock enters game
The Seattle Seahawks faced an early injury concern just minutes into their season opener against the New England Patriots.
Prefer HTon Google
The Seattle Seahawks faced an early injury concern just minutes into their season opener against the New England Patriots.
Sam Darnold exits early vs Patriots
Quarterback Sam Darnold appeared to be limping after being driven into the ground and was subsequently taken to the medical tent for evaluation. The 29-year-old RB suffered the injury on a sack during the Seahawk's first drive.
NFL insider Ari Meirov shared an update on X, describing the issue as an apparent leg injury.
Deep Dive
“QB Sam Darnold is in the medical tent with an apparent leg injury,” the NFL insider tweeted. Drew Lock entered the game to replace Sam Darnold following the quarterback's injury scare.
What happened to Sam Darnold?
Meanwhile, Dr. Jesse Morse also weighed in on the situation, suggesting Darnold may have suffered an injury to his right leg. "Sam Darnold with a possible right leg (knee, PCL) injury after his knee was driven into the ground," Morse tweeted.
According to the broadcast, Darnold was also undergoing X-rays in the locker room after leaving the game. The Seahawks later confirmed that Darnold is dealing with a hip injury and listed him as questionable to return for the remainder of the game.
Start time, location, and where to watch
Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT) on Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
Where to watch: NBC (national TV), Peacock (streaming), NFL+; local radio includes 98.5 The Sports Hub (Patriots) and Seattle Sports 710AM / KIRO (Seahawks). National radio: Westwood One.
Halftime performers
• Soundgarden (featuring Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless on vocals), joined by Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready.
Inactives
New England Patriots
RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle)
C Ben Brown (knee; did not travel)
CB Karon Prunty
LB/EDGE Erick Hunter
OT Walter Rouse
WR Efton Chism III
QB Behren Morton (emergency third QB)
Seattle Seahawks
S Nick Emmanwori (ankle)
S Ty Okada (hamstring)
WR Tory Horton (hamstring)
G Beau Stephens
TE Nick Kallerup
DE/DT Mike Morris
QB Jalen Milroe (emergency third QB)
Key players (active)
• QB: Drake Maye (starter), Tommy DeVito
• RB: Rhamondre Stevenson, Corey Kiner, Lan Larison (practice squad elevation)
• WR: A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams
• TE: Hunter Henry and others
• OL: Will Campbell, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson, Mike Onwenu, Morgan Moses, etc.
• Defense includes Christian Gonzalez, Christian Barmore, and others.
Seahawks (notable actives)
QB: Sam Darnold (starter)
Key skill players: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, and running backs including Jadarian Price / others
Defense: Julian Love (safety), Devon Witherspoon, and the rest of the unit (missing both Emmanwori and Okada)
NFL Week 1 Schedule (2026)
Wednesday, September 9
• New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks
8:20 p.m. ET | NBC / Peacock
Lumen Field, Seattle
Thursday, September 10
• San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams (International Game)
8:35 p.m. ET | Netflix
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
Sunday, September 13
1:00 p.m. ET
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (FOX)
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts (CBS)
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans (CBS)
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers (FOX)
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars (CBS)
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions (FOX)
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans (CBS)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals (FOX)
4:25 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers (CBS)
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (CBS)
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders (FOX)
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (FOX)
8:20 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (NBC / Peacock)
Monday, September 14
• Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
8:15 p.m. ET | ABC / ESPN
