Sam Darnold left the season opener on Wednesday with a hip injury suffered on the very first drive, and he didn’t return. If you’re a 12s fan, that news hits different. We’re one game into the NFL season, and the starting quarterback is already down. Panic time? Maybe a little.
QB Chaos: Darnold Down, What Now?
Yeah, that’s right. Darnold looking “very good in Klint Kubiak’s offense” already feels like a distant memory, doesn’t it? He went down early, and just like that, the Seahawks quarterback situation is front and center. For those of us living and breathing Seahawks football, the real-world impact for the Emerald City is immediate uncertainty under center. We just got started, man!
Kupp’s Unexpected Role for the Hawks
Meanwhile, over on the receiving side, Cooper Kupp might be finding himself in a bigger role than some expected, at least for the short term. The guy’s 33, and his 2025 production wasn’t exactly eye-popping with 47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns. But hey, Drew Lock found him on a few big plays and even a touchdown pass that got called back due to an illegal shift. That’s chemistry, baby! With Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals and Week 3 against the Washington Commanders coming up, Kupp could be a sneaky short-term option to watch, especially if other injuries inevitably pile up. The dude’s a Seahawk now, and if he can be a reliable target, we’ll take it.
Fantasy Scramble Beyond Our Backyard
Beyond our own Seahawks drama, the rest of the league is dealing with its own early-season headaches. A.J. Brown also went down with an ankle injury in the third quarter of his game and didn’t return. Talk about a brutal Week 1! This means fantasy players are already scrambling, and names like Kirk Cousins and Malik Willis are popping up. Cousins, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, had a rough two seasons in Atlanta and is short on weapons, with his tight end Brock Bowers set to miss a game or two. But he does have a history of fantasy relevance. Then there’s Willis, the Dolphins QB, largely unknown but his rushing upside is intriguing. Over in Vegas, Tre Tucker, a wideout, is another name to watch with Bowers out; he’s only in 30 percent of Yahoo leagues, but that could change fast if he links up with Cousins.
It’s just Week 1, and the injury bug has already bitten our Seahawks hard. With Sam Darnold sidelined, the focus immediately shifts to how this team adapts and who steps up. As the season progresses, every snap, every play, is gonna matter even more. Keep your eyes peeled for the next game; it’s going to tell us a lot about what kind of fight this team has in it, right here in the Emerald City.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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