Seasons Opener Turns Sour as Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Exits With Leg Injury

Seattle’s championship celebration was barely an hour old when the mood at Lumen Field shifted. Quarterback Sam Darnold, fresh off the Super Bowl banner raising that opened the Seahawks’ new season, limped to the sideline after the game’s opening drive Wednesday night and soon headed to the locker room, leaving backup Drew Lock to take over under center.

The trouble began on third down during Seattle’s first possession, when Darnold was brought down by a sack. As the punt unit came on, the quarterback made his way off the field with a visible limp. According to the NBC broadcast, no medical staff attended to Darnold when he first reached the sideline, though he subsequently entered the blue medical tent for evaluation. By the time New England’s ensuing punt had been returned, Darnold was still moving with difficulty and athletic trainers escorted him back to the tunnel before Seattle’s second series began.

The injury is a stark reversal for a player who had become one of the league’s more compelling narratives. Darnold, a former high draft pick whose career had stalled with earlier stops, revived his trajectory in Seattle and did not miss a game last season. He surpassed 4,000 passing yards in the regular season and delivered consistent performances throughout the Seahawks’ run to the Super Bowl title.

With Lock now running the offense, the Seahawks’ hopes of an uninterrupted title defense rest in part on the health of a quarterback whose availability has been a quiet strength of the roster. The team had not disclosed specifics on the injury or a timeline as of the opening quarter.

The game is being carried nationally on NBC, the broadcast property of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA). Comcast shares closed at $24.59, down from the prior close of $26.33, a decline of 6.61%, valuing the media and telecom company at roughly $92.5 billion. NBC’s coverage documented the sequence in real time, from the sack to Darnold’s slow walk to the medical tent.

Seattle’s opener was meant to be a coronation — a Super Bowl banner unveiling before a prime-time home crowd. Instead, the franchise and its fans spent the first quarter of the season monitoring the sideline for updates on the man who led them to the championship.

What to watch

• Official updates from the Seahawks on the nature and severity of Darnold’s leg injury.
• Whether Darnold returns to the game or is ruled out for the remainder of the opener.
• Lock’s performance in relief and any comments from head coach Mike Macdonald after the game.

Source: original release