Sam Darnold is expected to miss probably a couple games after leaving the Seattle Seahawks' win over the New England Patriots with an injury on the opening possession. Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the quarterback's problem is not the hip injury it was first called, but a glute injury that is muscular and not considered major.
That matters now because the Seahawks are heading into Nfl Week 2 with uncertainty at the most important spot on the field. Darnold left early, Backup Drew Lock took over, and Seattle may have to live without its starter for the next two games at the Arizona Cardinals and at the Washington Commanders.
The detail that changes the outlook is not just the absence, but the shape of it. A glute injury can be painful enough to limit a quarterback's movement and throwing mechanics, yet the report points to a short-term issue rather than anything that would shut him down for the season. That is why the timetable lands at probably a couple games instead of something longer.
Seattle already showed on Sunday that it can survive the switch for stretches. Lock completed a short pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a fourth-down attempt in the fourth quarter, and Smith-Njigba turned it into a touchdown. The Seahawks also picked off Drake Maye three times, and Josh Jobe sealed the win with an interception in the end zone in the final seconds.
The next step is straightforward: if Darnold is out as expected, the Seahawks will have to get through two road games without knowing exactly when their starter returns. That leaves the cleanest unanswered question for Seattle not whether the injury is serious, but whether a couple of games turns into one more if the body does not respond as hoped.
