Week 1 is in the books, and while we’re all fired up for another Seahawks season, the injury bug is already making its presence felt across the league, and right here in the Emerald City. Our quarterback, Sam Darnold, is sidelined with lower body issues, a brutal blow as we head into Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season. While the full extent of his situation isn’t clear, the league’s initial injury reports are enough to make any fan sweat.
The League’s Biggest Names Are Dropping Fast
Across the NFL, some major players are already feeling the heat, literally. Los Angeles Rams All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett, the 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is facing a high panic level 🚨🚨🚨 situation. This guy is a generational talent, and the Rams will be without him for an extended time. He’d been dealing with knee swelling since missing most of training camp, including a joint practice against the Cowboys. Rams head coach Sean McVay thought Garrett could power through in Week 1 against the 49ers, but that clearly wasn’t the case. Garrett had just his fourth career game without a tackle on 39 defensive snaps, his first since Week 11 of the 2024 season. Now, he’s headed for knee surgery and has been placed on injured reserve, meaning at least four games out. McVay confirmed there’s no timeline until after the surgery, saying, “Thought we would take an approach where he’d be feeling good enough to go contribute positive change and be the player that he’s capable of. That wasn’t the case. And so the next right thing for us is to be able to get this thing fixed.” Garrett himself admitted he wasn’t playing freely, saying, “When I was out there, I was a little bit more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing, and that showed. I wasn’t who I needed to be for my team.” The dude looked like a shell of the player who racked up an NFL single-season record 23.0 sacks last season. It’s a massive blow. On top of that, Patriots Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown, another huge offseason acquisition, is also sidelined for multiple weeks.
The Silent Alarm on Our Starting QB
So, what does this league-wide injury chaos mean for our Seahawks, especially with Sam Darnold in the mix? While we’re seeing all the details on Garrett’s knee and the fallout for the Rams, the report for Darnold is much more concise: “sidelined with lower body issues.” And honestly, that silence is what ramps up the panic for the 12s. How “sidelined” are we talking? Is it multiple weeks like Garrett and Brown? Is it something he could return from in Week 2, or is it more serious? The exact nature of those “lower body issues” is the elephant in the room. This is our starting quarterback, the guy we’re counting on to lead this team, and starting the season with this kind of uncertainty is brutal. We’ve just gotten a taste of 2026 football, and now our biggest question mark isn’t about scheme or play calls, it’s about our QB’s health.
The league is a brutal place, and Week 1 proved it. As we look ahead to Week 2, the biggest thing on every Seahawks fan’s mind has to be Sam Darnold’s status. We need our guy healthy, and the sooner we get some clarity on these “lower body issues,” the better. Let’s hope for a speedy and full recovery, because the season has only just begun.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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