Talk about a gut punch right out of the gate, 12s. Our man Sam Darnold, the Seahawks’ starting quarterback, went down with a hip injury on the very first series of the NFL’s 2026 kickoff game, and he’s officially out for the rest of the game. Seriously, the season had barely started, and the Patriots are already leading us 7-0 at halftime. It is a tough scene here in the Emerald City.
Darnold’s Early Exit Has Every 12 Holding Their Breath
This is the kind of news that makes your stomach drop. Darnold appeared to suffer the injury when he was sacked by Dre’Mont Jones on a crucial third down, forcing our guys to punt. He limped straight to the sideline, got a quick look in the medical tent, and then headed up to the locker room for more evaluation. The word came down just before halftime: he is ruled out. This isn’t just a 7-0 deficit we are looking at, it is a massive question mark under center for the rest of the year. Backup Drew Lock had to step in cold for the remainder of the first half, and while he did complete 6-of-8 passes for 51 yards, our offense only managed six first downs. We just could not get anything going, and you have to wonder what this means for the second half, let alone the games to come.
Patriots Find the End Zone Early, Seahawks Left Scrambling
On the other side of the ball, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye looked way more comfortable than when he faced our defense in Super Bowl LX back in February. He was getting the ball out fast and using his legs to scramble, keeping our defense guessing. Their most impactful play wasn’t even a completion, but it set them up perfectly: newcomer A.J. Brown drew a defensive pass interference penalty that put the Patriots on our 2-yard line. From there, Maye tossed a quick 2-yard touchdown to rookie tight end Eli Rairdon. That score became the NFL’s first touchdown of the 2026 season, and it stung. Maye finished the first half 10-of-12 for 66 yards with that one touchdown. He got the job done, and we are stuck playing catch-up.
The second half is about to kick off. Drew Lock has to find a rhythm, and our defense needs to make some serious adjustments to shut down Maye. This is the first game of the season, and it is already a battle. Let’s see if our Seahawks can rally and turn this nightmare into a comeback. 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 Pro Football Talk.
Leave a Reply