Sam Darnold’s second medical opinions bring encouraging news for Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold appears to be on a faster recovery track than initially feared, according to reporting by Fox Corporation‘s Jay Glazer, who says multiple medical evaluations on the quarterback’s injured glute tendon came back with encouraging results.

The Seahawks had spent the past week gathering up to four second opinions on the injury, which Glazer first reported last Sunday. At the time, early projections suggested Darnold could be sidelined for four to six weeks.

The follow-up evaluations reportedly indicated the injury is less serious than the team originally believed. Darnold could return as soon as Week 3, when Seattle travels to Washington, with Week 4 at home against the Chargers viewed as another possible landing spot if he needs additional time.

In the meantime, veteran backup Drew Lock is set to take the reins Sunday as the Seahawks visit Arizona. A win would push Seattle’s winning streak against the Cardinals to ten games and extend the franchise’s overall winning streak to twelve, a club record.

Darnold’s availability carries obvious weight for a Seattle offense that has relied on his play under center this season. An extended absence would have forced Lock into a heavier workload, but the revised timeline gives the coaching staff a clearer picture of how to manage the position over the next two weeks.

Glazer’s reporting came via Fox Sports, the sports division of Fox Corporation, which trades in the Communication Services sector and operates television and cable network programming businesses covering news, sports, and entertainment content.

What to watch

• Whether Darnold is cleared to play in Week 3 at Washington or lands in the lineup for Week 4 against the Chargers.
• Seattle’s official injury designations and practice participation reports in the coming days.
• How Drew Lock performs in Sunday’s road game against Arizona while Darnold continues recovering.

Source: original release