Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald delivered another encouraging update on quarterback Sam Darnold Thursday, saying medical testing showed Darnold’s hip is intact and that the injury appears to be more muscular in nature.
The catch for Seattle is that Macdonald still cannot put a timetable on Darnold’s recovery.
“The hip is intact, and it’s good,” Macdonald said during an appearance on “Brock & Salk” on Seattle Sports on Thursday morning. “It’s more of a muscle thing. That’s good news. How long that is, we don’t know yet. It’s really, really good news. I’m really happy for Sam.”
That represents an important step beyond the initial update following Seattle’s 13-10 season-opening win over the New England Patriots. Macdonald said Wednesday night that doctors had ruled out a fracture, although additional testing was still necessary. Darnold underwent a CT scan after leaving the game and was due for further imaging Thursday.
Sam Darnold Injury: Mike Macdonald Says Seahawks Are Still Determining Prognosis
Macdonald stressed that the Seahawks are still working through the medical information before determining how much time Darnold could miss.
“We did get some results back. We’re still working,” Macdonald said. “What I’m learning is you can get the scan and you find out it’s a thing. For me to give you a timeline right now, we’re still trying to figure out what the best prognosis is.”
Macdonald added that Darnold was dealing with significant discomfort following the injury.
“It is painful,” he said. “It hasn’t been an easy night for him.”
Darnold was injured on Seattle’s opening possession Wednesday when former Seahawks defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones brought him down on a third-down sack. Darnold limped off the field, was evaluated in the medical tent and eventually went to the locker room before being ruled out.
The Seahawks’ immediate concern was whether Darnold had suffered structural damage to the hip. First ruling out a fracture and now hearing Macdonald describe the hip itself as intact significantly changes the tenor of the situation, even if a muscle injury could still force Darnold to miss time.
Seattle also has an unusual advantage in the calendar. After opening the season on Wednesday, September 9, the Seahawks do not play again until Sunday, September 20, when they visit the Arizona Cardinals. That gives Darnold 10 full days between games before Seattle must make its next quarterback decision.
Drew Lock Already Gave Seahawks Reason for Confidence
If Darnold cannot play against Arizona, Seattle already received an extended look at its contingency plan.
Macdonald did not have an answer for whether Darnold would play against Arizona, saying“I don’t know yet. In my mind, I’m kind of thinking Drew is going to play.”
Drew Lock replaced Darnold after the opening possession and completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown as Seattle erased a 10-0 deficit and won 13-10.
Macdonald said he did not initially see Darnold leave the field and was surprised when he learned the quarterback was injured. His attention quickly shifted to Lock.
“We have a ton of faith in Drew, and the guys do too,” Macdonald said. “You can see that in how they played and how we called it.”
Seattle would obviously prefer to have its starting quarterback available as it begins its Super Bowl defense. But Thursday’s update provided a much better scenario than the Seahawks faced when Darnold first limped toward the locker room.
The most serious immediate concern — damage to the hip itself — appears to have been avoided.
Now the question changes from what Darnold injured to how quickly the muscular issue will allow him to play again.
Seahawks Provide New Sam Darnold Injury Update After Medical Imaging