The Seattle Seahawks did not play on Sunday, but fans have been treated to a wild ride when it comes to news on Sam Darnold’s injury. At least three different NFL insiders provided updates on Darnold’s injury and potential return timeline in the last 24 hours.
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer revealed that Darnold sustained a glute injury and the issue did not involve his hip as initially reported. The early reports indicated that Darnold could return sooner rather than later.
Yet, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio painted a much more grim picture when it comes to Darnold’s return. Darnold’s timeline could be closer to the four to six weeks range, per Florio.
This would be a longer timeline than was reported earlier.
“The Seahawks avoided the worst-case season-ending scenario for quarterback Sam Darnold’s hip,” Florio detailed on September 13, 2026. “The current expectation, however, is not for a quick return. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Darnold could miss four to six weeks.
“… Surgery is not anticipated. The Seahawks will choose to be cautious with Darnold, given that they have a contending team that can, as they did on Wednesday night, win without him.”
Here’s a look at the latest Seahawks news and rumors.
Seahawks News: Sam Darnold Is Not Dealing With a Hip Injury as Initially Reported
It is not all bad news for Darnold. Glazer reported that Darnold’s glute injury is a better scenario than a potential hip issue as initially feared.
“This is a better possible scenario because initially they thought he actually fractured that hip socket, which probably would have put him out for the year,” Glazer explained during a September 13, edition of “Fox NFL Sunday.”
“Instead, there’s a tendon injury in the glute. So here’s what’s happened. They’re still trying to gather information,” Glazer added.
“So much so that they were getting four second opinions, which I guess would be second, third, fourth (opinions)… to figure out exactly what the timetable will be and what the plan of attack will be for this.”
The Seahawks Appear to be Preparing for Drew Lock to Get an Extensive Look as the Starting Quarterback
Ultimately, Darnold’s actual return timeline will depend on how the quarterback’s body recovers. The Seahawks have yet to reveal an official timeline.
For now, it appears Seahawks fans could see a lot of Drew Lock for the foreseeable future.
“He operates like a starter does in terms of preparation,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said of Lock, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. “The chemistry and the personality of our quarterback room is one that is very supportive of each other and also trying to bring out the best in one another.
“Drew provides a cool confidence, loose and focusedness to the whole equation, which you need — you need that,” Macdonald added.
“On top of that, since he’s got here, I feel like he’s just played great football in practice and in the preseason. We saw what he could do last night. If he has to play again, then we expect the same moving forward.”
Seahawks Get Troubling Sam Darnold Timeline After New Injury Diagnosis