Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold lasted just five plays in the team’s season-opening Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots at home on Wednesday.
Darnold was injured on Seattle’s opening drive when he landed awkwardly on his right knee/hip after being sacked by Patriots edge-rusher Dre’Mont Jones.
Darnold limped off the field and headed to the blue medical tent for further evaluation. Moments later, Darnold went to the locker room and the team announced later in the half that he was ruled out for the rest of the game.
No other details are currently known about the extent of Darnold’s injury, but popular sports doctor David J. Chao shared some insight on what Darnold could be dealing with — and it’s not good, in his opinion.
“Sam Darnold’s hip injury could be long-term if X-rays are positive for a fracture,” Chao wrote on X. “It’s not a dislocation, as Darnold was able to limp off the field. The main concern is a posterior wall acetabular fracture. Worry meter is high.”
Chao also posted a video explaining why the Seahawks could be concerned with Darnold’s prognosis.
“The worry is a posterior acetabular fracture — a wall/rim fracture to the back of the hip socket,” he stated. “A much more severe form of this was Tua Tagovailoa in college for Alabama. [He had a] hip fracture/dislocation. That obviously was much more severe, but this one is a milder form, maybe, of it.
“Let’s hope the holdout is precautionary. Let’s hope there’s no posterior wall or rim fracture, but that is the concern based on mechanism that his kneecap is driven into the turf, the whole force translates up his thigh into the back of the hip. … At this point, the worry is high.”
In relief of Darnold, backup Drew Lock has performed admirably.
At time of publication (2:29 left in the third quarter), the 29-year-old Lock had completed 11 of 15 passes for 98 yards and a 90.4 passer rating. Lock led the Seahawks on a seven-play scoring drive that cut New England’s lead to 10-3 late in the third quarter.