The Seattle Seahawks managed to thrive without starting quarterback Sam Darnold in the first two games of the 2026 season. QB1 only played five downs in Week 1, and yet backup Drew Lock led the team to victory against the New England Patriots. Darnold will return in Week 3, though.
In Week 2, Lock and the offense were efficient enough to ease past the Arizona Cardinals. Of course, having an elite defense is helpful, too. That is just what Darnold needs to get another 10 am PT road win in a Seahawks uniform.
Seattle has had quite a bit of success in that time slot. The team has won 19 of its last 24 10 am PT games. That includes all three last season in Darnold's first year with the team. Hopefully, he makes it 1-0 to begin this season with a victory against the Washington Commanders.
Seattle Seahawks will have Sam Darnold back in Week 3
Initially, Darnold was expected to miss at least a couple of games, and he did have to sit out Week 2. Thankfully, his injury wasn't to a shoulder, hip, or knee, so the concern wasn't so much about making the issue worse, but just managing the pain.
He made a quicker-than-expected recovery and was practicing fully ahead of Week 3. By Thursday, it was clear that he was going to be able to play against Washington. The issue might be that he is a bit rusty.
Because he was injured on the first drive of the first game after not playing in the preseason, Darnold has extremely limited reps against other teams, especially in new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's system. He might need a few drives to get comfortable.
Sam Darnold's injury history
- Glute injury, September 2026: Missed most of Week 1 and all of Week 2
- Oblique injury, January 2026: Did not miss time and played through the issue in the playoffs
- Left ankle injury, August 2022: Missed the early portion of the season with the Carolina Panthers
- Right shoulder injury, November 2021: Missed five games with the Panthers
- Right shoulder sprain, November 2020: Missed multiple games
- Mononucleosis, September 2019: Missed three games
- Pedal foot sprain, November 2018: Missed three games
For the most part, Darnold has been healthy during his career. His early-career woes were more due to the offensive system he was in and poor performance. In the last two-plus seasons, that hasn't been an issue. Hopefully, he can stay healthy the rest of this season, though at least the Seahawks know that Drew Lock can fill in pretty well if Darnold misses more time.
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