Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed Friday that quarterback Sam Darnold will start against the Commanders on Sunday, marking his return after an injury sustained early in the season. Darnold, 29, suffered a glute and hip injury just five snaps into Seattle's Week 1 victory over the New England Patriots and subsequently missed the team's Week 2 win against the Arizona Cardinals.
Darnold has been a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday, his first time back on the field in two weeks. According to The Athletic, Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury stated that Darnold has looked "great" in his return to practice.
While the injury was initially a cause for concern, a Seattle spokesperson described it as a "very unique, soft-tissue injury" to his hip. Earlier reports suggested Darnold might miss up to four weeks and would not be placed on injured reserve. "It was after I got the CT scan, and you can take a better look at the anatomy of the hip bone," Darnold told reporters. "That was when the doctor brought the good news to me."
Darnold clarified that this injury is not related to the oblique injury he sustained during Seattle's Super Bowl championship run. He described the recovery process, noting that "When you have an injury to your hip, or anywhere, all the muscles around that area tighten up a little bit. Continuing to keep it loose and strong, making sure that I’m good coming back."
Watching from the sideline after his injury was difficult for Darnold. "It’s not fun," he said Thursday, according to ESPN. "I’ll be straight up with you guys. It’s tough to get hurt, but to see the way that … Drew [Lock] came in and how well he played and really just protected the football, I was really happy to see that."