As the saying goes, “one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity.” The saying perfectly applies to the first quarter of 2026 campaign for the Seattle Seahawks.
On the final play of the first Seahawks offensive possession in the season opener, quarterback Sam Darnold suffered an injury on a sack. Following the hit, Darnold limped to the sideline and shortly thereafter went to the locker room.
Darnold walked without assistance to the locker room but with a clear limp.
Former second-round pick Drew Lock replaced Darnold behind center. Lock has seven years of NFL experience and has posted a 10-18 record in 28 starts.
It’s too early to speculate how much time Darnold could miss. But at the very least, Lock may have an opportunity to shine in primetime in the NFL’s season opener.
NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico reported Darnold has a hip injury and is officially questionable to return.
Drew Lock Replaces Sam Darnold vs. Patriots
Things can change very quickly in the NFL. Less than an hour after the Seahawks finished raising their championship banner, Darnold left the field limping.
It’s hard to overstate how big of a loss the quarterback could be. Including the postseason, Darnold owns a 31-7 record over the past two years. In his first season with the Seahawks last year, he completed 67.7% of his passes for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns.
But the silver lining is for however long Darnold is sidelined, the Super Bowl contending Seahawks can turn to the veteran Lock.
The 29-year-old is in his second stint with the Seahawks. Last year, he appeared in five games but didn’t make any starts. He attempted only three passes.
In his first Seahawks stint during 2023, Lock went 1-1 as a starter with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Lock really struggled early in his career with the Denver Broncos, who drafted the quarterback with the hope he could be a long-term answer behind center. After posting a 4-1 record in his rookie campaign, Lock led the Broncos to a 4-12 record over the next two campaigns.
Lock has still only posted a 2-5 mark since leaving Denver. But he’s played some of his best football in Seattle. As far as backups go, he’s potentially one of the better options in the league because of his mixture of experience and upside (Lock doesn’t turn 30 until November).
Every NFL season produces surprise heroes even if for only one week or two. Lock might have the opportunity to become that with his chance to play Wednesday.
Who is Seattle’s Emergency Quarterback?
The Seahawks only dressed two signal-callers for Wednesday’s opener against the Patriots. That means, if Darnold can’t return, Lock will have to play the rest of the game.
But if Lock also suffers an injury, the Seahawks will have another option — Jalen Milroe.
The league’s emergency third quarterback rule allows teams to dress a designated emergency signal-caller from their 53-man roster without him counting against the standard game-day roster limit.
Under the rule, Milroe is not permitted to enter the game unless both Darnold and Lock sustain injuries. Therefore, the Seahawks can bench Lock in favor of Milroe. But the Seahawks will have a third signal-caller available to them if they suffer another ailment behind center Wednesday.
Seahawks OC Brian Fleury Faces More Difficult Week 1 Task
Fleury was making his Seahawks coaching debut Wednesday night. Seattle hired Fleury to replace departed Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Fleury has coached in the NFL for more than a decade. However, in his first offensive coordinator role, Fleury had never called plays in an NFL regular season game before Wednesday.
Regardless of how good the Seahawks might feel with Lock behind center, his job got harder without the Super Bowl-winning starting quarterback.
Of course, that’s all the more reason Lock’s experience could be key. The Seahawks should turn to the experienced backup and some of their other playmakers to help Fleury navigate an offense without Darnold for the rest of Wednesday night.
Seahawks’ Drew Lock Gets Potential Golden Opportunity With Sam Darnold Injury