The Seattle Seahawks may finally have the clearest estimate yet on when Sam Darnold can get back under center.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday, Sept. 15 that Darnold is “looking at about a 4 week return to play” from the glute injury he suffered in Seattle’s season-opening win over the New England Patriots.
Garafolo added that Darnold’s return “could potentially be a little bit sooner than that.”
That update lands following the four-to-six-week absence Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported over the weekend. It also fits with Seattle’s own description of Darnold’s injury as short term, even though the team has declined to attach a firm timetable to his recovery.
Seattle knows Drew Lock is in line to handle Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. If Darnold can beat the four-week estimate, however, the Seahawks may avoid a lengthy stretch without the quarterback who helped drive last season’s title run.
Darnold’s New Timeline Puts Key Seahawks Games in Focus
Darnold’s injury has produced several turns since he went down on Seattle’s first possession against New England on Sept. 9.
The Seahawks initially announced a hip injury after Darnold was sacked by Dre’Mont Jones.
Subsequent testing ruled out damage to the hip joint, and the team said Monday that Darnold instead has a “very unique soft-tissue injury” in the area of his right glute. ESPN reported there is no firm return date, while Seattle characterized the issue as short term.
That followed FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reporting that the injury involved a tendon in Darnold’s glute and that Seattle was gathering multiple outside medical opinions to determine the timetable and treatment plan.
Garafolo’s four-week estimate now serves as a more concrete marker.
Assuming that window is measured from the Sept. 9 injury, Seattle’s Week 5 home game against the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 11 would sit just beyond the four-week point.
A quicker recovery could potentially put the Oct. 4 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers in play.
The Seahawks’ schedule has road games against the Cardinals on Sept. 20 and Washington Commanders on Sept. 27 before Seattle returns home to face the Chargers.
Lock Gets Another Chance to Hold the Fort
Seattle has seen Lock respond once in a tricky spot.
The veteran replaced Darnold after the opening drive and completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown as the Seahawks erased a 10-0 deficit to beat the Patriots 13-10.
Head coach Mike Macdonald later called Lock’s performance “phenomenal”.
Lock now gets a full week to prepare as the likely starter rather than entering cold in the first quarter. Seattle also has Jalen Milroe on the 53-man roster, but ESPN reported Monday that the Seahawks hadn’t brought in any quarterbacks for tryouts.
The encouraging piece for the Seahawks is that the injury outlook has steadily moved away from the worst-case scenario.
Seattle still has reason to be cautious.
Darnold didn’t miss a game last season while throwing for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during a franchise-record 14-win campaign that ended with the Seahawks lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
The Seahawks’ job currently is to keep stacking wins without him. The latest timeline at least gives them a clearer idea of how long Lock may need to keep the offense afloat.
Seahawks’ Sam Darnold Gets Return Timeline From NFL Insider Amid ‘Unique’ Injury