The Seattle Seahawks were hit with an unexpected injury scare just minutes into their season opener against the New England Patriots.
Why is Sam Darnold not playing?
Quarterback Sam Darnold, who started the game for Seattle, was forced to leave Wednesday night's contest after suffering an injury on a sack during the team's opening drive.
Only five plays into the Seahawks' 2026-27 NFL season opener, he suffered an injury scare.
The 29-year-old was struck from behind by New England Patriots defensive end Dre'Mont Jones, who drove the Seahawks quarterback into the ground on the play.
After being brought to the ground, the 29-year-old appeared to limp off the field and was taken to the blue medical tent for further evaluation.
Deep Dive
What injury did Sam Darnold suffer during the game against the Patriots?
Why was Sam Darnold taken to the medical tent during the Seahawks game?
How did the Seahawks respond to Sam Darnold's injury during the game?
Backup quarterback Drew Lock subsequently entered the game as Darnold later headed to the locker room.
According to the broadcast, Darnold was also undergoing X-rays after leaving the field. The Seahawks later confirmed that he was dealing with a hip injury and listed him as questionable to return for the remainder of the game.
Fans share worry on social media
Fans took to X to express their disappointment and concern following Darnold's early exit from the game.
{{/usCountry}}Fans took to X to express their disappointment and concern following Darnold's early exit from the game.
{{/usCountry}}Also read | NFL halftime show: Who is performing at Seahawks vs Patriots opener? Why are Soundgarden and others chosen?
One user feared the worst and asked, “If it shows a fracture, is that automatically season ending?”
Others were left wondering how long Darnold could be sidelined if the injury proved serious. One fan tweeted, “How long would a hip fracture keep him out.”
Another supporter simply called for prayers, writing, “Prayer circle time.”
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