Seahawks rule out Sam Darnold for Week 2; glute injury clouds return timeline

The Seattle Seahawks officially ruled out quarterback Sam Darnold for Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals with a glute injury sustained in Week 1, per CBS Sports and ESPN. Coach Mike Macdonald said on Wednesday: 'Don't anticipate putting him on IR or anything like that, but we'll just kind of re-evaluate every day and re-evaluate next week and we'll go from there. But he won't play this week,' according to ESPN. Darnold suffered the injury on the fifth play of the Week 1 opener when his right knee hit the turf as he was being sacked from behind, per ESPN. The Seahawks described it as a 'very unique soft-tissue' injury in the area of his right glute, with his hip joint unaffected, according to ESPN. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center for testing during the game and stayed overnight due to the discomfort he was in, per ESPN. The Seahawks have no plans to place Darnold on injured reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games, per ESPN. However, These estimates remain unconfirmed. Drew Lock stepped in for Darnold and completed 16-of-22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown in the eventual 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Week 1, per CBS Sports. Lock is 10-18 as a starter in his career and will make his first start for Seattle since 2023, according to CBS Sports. Jalen Milroe, a 2025 second-round pick, is Seattle's third quarterback; the team has yet to bring in another quarterback for a tryout, per ESPN. Darnold ranked top five in the league in QB wins (28), passing yards (8,367), and passing touchdowns (60) from 2024-25, per CBS Sports. He has not missed a game due to injury since 2021, according to CBS Sports. The Seahawks face Arizona in Week 2, followed by the Washington Commanders in Week 3, Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4, and San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, per ESPN. Safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle) and wide receiver Tory Horton (hamstring) are practicing Wednesday after missing the opener, and safety Ty Okada (hamstring) has a chance to play Sunday after missing Week 1, per ESPN.