While it’s still Week 1, the Arizona Cardinals got news on which quarterback they’ll face in their Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports that Sam Darnold will be out with a hip injury.
Darnold suffered a hip injury in the first quarter of the Seahawks’ 13-10 win over the New England Patriots, in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. Backup quarterback Drew Lock finished out the game and led Seattle’s comeback from down 10-0 in the fourth quarter.
Week 2 will be the Cardinals‘ first intradivision game in the Mike LaFleur era. Arizona had gone 0-6 against the NFC West in two of the past three seasons, and 3-15 overall, under Jonathan Gannon. They’ll host the defending Super Bowl champions at State Farm Stadium on September 20, with a kickoff of 1:25 p.m. MST
What the Sam Darnold News Means for the Cardinals
With Sam Darnold ruled out for Week 2, that means the Cardinals will face Drew Lock. They won’t have to worry about preparing for Darnold, so the scouts can focus on reviewing Lock’s tape against New England.
That doesn’t mean the Cardinals won’t have their hands full. They’ll still have to deal with the receiving duo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. Kupp will be especially dangerous, as the Cardinals are still figuring out their slot corner between Denzel Burke and a recovering Garrett Williams.
Based on their first injury report of the season, the Cardinals will be close to full strength on defense. Josh Sweat should return to practice after a rest day, and Will Johnson was listed as a full participant. It could depend on how well Williams has been built up after missing much of training camp while recovering from an Achilles injury.
The Cardinals will have their work cut out for them to review Lock’s tendencies and devise a game plan to contain the eighth-year veteran. In his game against the Patriots, he completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown pass to Smith-Njigba.
Darnold’s injury is not expected to result in a lengthy absence. So there’s a good chance the Cardinals will see him when they travel to Seattle in Week 9.
Arizona Cardinals Right Now
Even though the Cardinals got the Sam Darnold news, their focus is on their Week 1 opponent. Arizona will travel to SoFi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Chargers to kick off the Mike LaFleur era.
There’s a decent chance the Cardinals head coach might talk about that, but not get too specific about that game. They still have two more practices before traveling to Inglewood. They’ve got their own issues trying to slow down a top quarterback in Justin Herbert.
After their Week 1 game, they’ll focus on their plan for containing Drew Lock and the top receiver in the NFL, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Arizona Cardinals Get Major Sam Darnold News Before Seahawks Week 2 Clash