The Seattle Seahawks may not have to say anything about Sam Darnold before Wednesday for their actions to provide a clue.
Darnold was at team headquarters Sunday but wasn’t on the field when the media-access portion of practice began, ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported.
Seattle is not required to issue its first Week 2 injury report until Wednesday, when coach Mike Macdonald is also scheduled to speak with reporters.
The team won’t release an injury report until Wednesday, and we won’t hear from Mike Macdonald until then.
That leaves a brief information gap around the quarterback. Seahawks analyst Dan Viens pointed to one transaction that could become meaningful before then.
“Clarity on the timeline from Brady — so the only potential tell between now and Wednesday as to Sam’s status will be if the Seahawks try out or sign a QB before then,” Viens wrote Sunday. “Tuesdays are often the most common workout day for teams on a normal schedule.”
Seahawks Could Tip Their Hand With QB Move
Update: The Seahawks did call the injury “short-term” today but didn’t provide an exact timeline on recovery.
Darnold’s status has been difficult to pin down since he left Seattle’s 13-10 Week 1 win over the New England Patriots on the opening possession.
Dre’Mont Jones brought him down on a sack, and Darnold was ruled out with what the team initially called a hip injury.
Macdonald said after the game that testing ruled out a fracture, which he called “great news.” The diagnosis has since shifted toward a tendon injury in Darnold’s glute.
FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported Sunday that Seattle was gathering four additional opinions to determine both the timetable and a plan for Darnold’s recovery. Glazer said Darnold would miss the Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals, but added that the length of his absence beyond that remained unclear.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio subsequently reported that Darnold could miss four to six weeks and that surgery isn’t anticipated.
So, bringing in another quarterback would hardly establish Darnold’s exact return date, but it would show Seattle is preparing its room for an absence that stretches beyond one game.
Standing pat would leave Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe as the healthy quarterbacks behind Darnold. Seattle currently carries all three quarterbacks on its active roster.
Lock Gives Seahawks Some Breathing Room
Seattle doesn’t have to operate out of panic after what Lock showed in the opener.
The veteran entered after Darnold went down and completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown, posting a 113.3 passer rating. He helped Seattle erase a 10-point deficit and escape with the win while avoiding a turnover.
That performance gives the Seahawks a degree of flexibility while Darnold and the medical staff work through the next step.
Lock has starting experience, and even if injury strikes him, Milroe gives Seattle another quarterback that knows the system. The 2025 third-round pick was inactive against New England but remains on the 53-man roster.
The unknown is how long Seattle wants to carry only those two healthy options.
If Darnold’s absence may last several weeks, adding an extra arm would protect the depth chart and give the team an additional practice option.
But if Seattle reaches Wednesday without making a move, it would suggest the Seahawks are comfortable navigating the future with Lock and Milroe.
Until Macdonald speaks and the first injury report arrives, that may be the closest thing to an early signal.
Seahawks Insider Names Move to Watch Amid Sam Darnold Injury Mystery