The Seahawks’ defense of their Super Bowl title could not have gotten off to a more inauspicious start.
Quarterback Sam Darnold limped off the field after taking a sack on Seattle’s first drive of the game against the Patriots. He went to the blue medical tent and went back to the Seahawks locker room as backup Drew Lock entered the game for the team’s second offensive drive of Wednesday’s season opener.
🚨 INJURY ALERT
Sam Darnold ➡️ blue tent after the sack
Seen limping on the sideline
Drew Lock ➡️ in at QB for SeattleLess than 7 minutes into the season. pic.twitter.com/CydhAfUhZW
— Game Day Desk (@GameDayDesk) September 10, 2026
The Seahawks ruled Darnold out late in the second quarter with a hip injury.
On a third-and-6 just inside Patriots territory, Darnold could not find an open receiver before Dre’Mont Jones took him down for a sack. Darnold landed hard on his right leg and went off the field gingerly and with a limp as Seattle punted.
“We’ve got to pick him up,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said during a halftime interview with NBC. “We’ve got faith in Drew, he’s settled into the game now. We should be able to execute our game plan. That’s why we say 12 is one — we’ve got to pick him up.”
Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick of the Jets in 2018, led Seattle to its second Super Bowl title last season with a win over the Patriots. But in the rematch, things got off to a far more concerning start for Seattle.
