Holy smokes, folks, we finally have some clarity on Sam Darnold’s injury after that thrilling opening night win against the New England Patriots, and honestly, you gotta breathe a sigh of relief. Turns out our starting QB didn’t actually suffer a hip injury like some initially feared. No, according to ESPN’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a glute strain. Yep, Sam Darnold is literally butt hurt, and honestly, that’s way better than what we thought.
The Real Story Behind the Strain
Head Coach Mike Macdonald originally mentioned it as "some sort of muscle strain," which had everyone in the Emerald City holding their breath. But Rapoport cleared things up this week, confirming it’s specifically a glute injury. When you heard "hip," you immediately started picturing long stints on the sideline, right? That’s why this glute news, while not ideal, is about the best possible outcome we could have hoped for. Sitting out “probably a couple games” isn’t great, especially this early, but compared to the fear surrounding an initial hip designation, two games at most is something we can absolutely manage.
Drew Lock Gets the Keys to the Offense
So, what does this mean for the next couple of weeks? Darnold is almost certainly out for Week 2, when we face the Arizona Cardinals. For Week 3 on the road against the Washington Commanders, it’s a "we’ll see" situation, but it’s totally reasonable to expect him to sit out that road trip too. This means Drew Lock is getting the keys to the offense for at least a couple of games. The big difference this time? He’ll actually get normal practice reps, not just be thrown into live action on emergency notice. That’s a huge factor for chemistry and game planning, giving Lock a real chance to show what he’s got with the first team.
So, get ready to see Drew Lock lead the charge against the Cardinals in Week 2. He’ll have a huge opportunity to keep the early momentum going. We’ll be looking forward to Darnold making his return, likely in Week 4, when we’re back home at Lumen Field to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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