Sam Darnold Out for Week 2 as Seahawks Navigate Quarterback Decisions
Despite a glute injury, head coach Mike Macdonald indicated the team does not plan to place Darnold on injured reserve.
Sam Darnold has been ruled out for the Seattle Seahawks' Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals due to a glute injury sustained on the first drive of the NFL season.
Head coach Mike Macdonald stated Wednesday that the team does not intend to place Darnold on injured reserve, expressing optimism that the quarterback will not be sidelined for an extended period. "Don’t anticipate putting him on IR or anything like that, but we’ll just kind of re-evaluate every day and re-evaluate next week and we’ll go from there," Macdonald told reporters. "But he won’t play this week."
ESPN reported that the Seahawks believe Darnold could miss up to four weeks with the injury, with a potential return targeted for a Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers. The injury initially raised concerns of a more significant hip issue after Darnold was hit during the Week 1 opener against the New England Patriots.
Macdonald confirmed that Darnold is progressing well in his rehabilitation. Drew Lock, who entered the game in Week 1 after Darnold's injury, completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown in the Seahawks' victory over the Patriots. Lock is slated to start against the Cardinals, with Jalen Milroe serving as the backup quarterback.
The team does not currently plan to sign an additional quarterback. "Drew’s known he’s going to start here for a while," Macdonald said, adding he looks forward to seeing both Lock and Darnold practice.