SEATTLE -- The Seahawks might have to continue their title defense with Sam Darnold temporarily sidelined. For now, though, the reigning Super Bowl champions are 1-0 with Drew Lock at quarterback.
Darnold went down on the opening possession Wednesday night against the New England Patriots because of a hip injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game. With help from Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Seattle's dominant defense, Lock led a second-half rally to help the Seahawks open the season with a 13-10 win in a rematch of Super Bowl LX.
Coach Mike Macdonald said Darnold's hip is not broken, but he said he doesn't know the extent of the quarterback's injury and that it's too early to tell whether he'll be able to play in the Seahawks' Sept. 20 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Darnold was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for a CT scan on his hip, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The initial test was encouraging but inconclusive, and Darnold is now scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday, sources said.
"At this point, we are able to rule out a fracture," Macdonald said. "So there's some more tests to be done. ... We're still working through all that, but right now I think fracture is out, which is great news."
An eventful day for the organization began with an introductory news conference for the Khosla family, whose purchase of the Seahawks from Paul Allen's estate was finalized last week. Before kickoff, Kam Chancellor hyped up the crowd as the Seahawks unveiled a Super Bowl LX banner. Then Richard Sherman raised the ceremonial 12 Flag.
But the feel-good vibe at Lumen Field took a turn on the fifth play, when Darnold landed hard on his right knee while being sacked from behind by former Seahawks outside linebacker Dre'Mont Jones on third down. After hobbling off the field, Darnold was examined in the medical tent, then limped to the locker room as the Seahawks were taking the field for their second possession.
The Seahawks' radio broadcast specified that Darnold's injury is to his right hip. He was initially announced as questionable to return before being downgraded to out for the game.
"Your heart goes out to Sam," Macdonald said, describing his feelings as Lock stepped in. "We're praying that it's minor, obviously. He's had such a great offseason, but Drew has, too. Drew's played really well. So any time somebody is getting an opportunity, unfortunately it's because somebody else isn't able to go. But you also want to feel excited for that player. So we had a lot of confidence in Drew coming in and playing at a high level."
The Seahawks trailed 7-0 at halftime after punting on their first three full possessions with Lock at the helm, then did so again on their opening drive of the second half. They got on the board with a 30-yard Jason Myers field goal late in the third quarter that made it 10-3 New England.
The game changed early in the fourth quarter, when cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett came down with the first of Seattle's three interceptions on a Drake Maye deep ball that safety Rodney Thomas II tipped.
When the Seahawks faced a fourth-and-1 on the ensuing possession, new coordinator Brian Fleury opted against a tush push with tight end AJ Barner and instead put the ball in his backup quarterback's hands. Lock found Smith-Njigba on a short throw over the middle, and the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year did the rest, outrunning New England's defense to the end zone for a 45-yard score that tied the score at 10-10.
Lock hadn't run the play in practice.
"It is like a classic football play, but no, definitely never ran it," he said. "Looked kind of funny before the snap. Didn't really seem like they had anybody ready to match Jax based on what I knew we were about to run. He actually ended up being the third read in that play. When 11 is just standing there, you got to give him the pill."
Lock finished 16-of-22 for 187 yards and one touchdown. He took only one sack and didn't turn the ball over in his first extended action since the 2024 season, when he went 1-4 in five starts for the New York Giants.
Lock, 29, spent the 2022 and '23 seasons as Geno Smith's backup after the Seahawks acquired him from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade, then returned to Seattle in 2025. He attempted only three passes over five appearances last season while Darnold started every game on his way to a second straight Pro Bowl selection.
Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick in 2019, Lock has a 10-18 record as a starter.
"It's tough losing 14," Smith-Njigba said. "He's the head of the snake. But we have each other's backs. We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in and do his thing. He's done it time and time again."
The Seahawks committed seven offensive penalties, including four for false starts and one for delay of game, despite having the home crowd on their side. Another penalty for an illegal shift nullified a Lock touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp, forcing Seattle to settle for Myers' first field goal.
Myers gave the Seahawks a 13-10 lead with a 26-yard field goal with 5:50 remaining.
Kupp said Fleury did an "unbelievable job" of dealing with Darnold's absence in his play-calling debut.
"Just as players, we shot ourselves in the foot way too much," Kupp said. "A lot of stuff that we got to clean up. But he did a great job just being consistent there. Had a great demeanor. I even saw him smile a little bit on the sidelines, so that's a big deal."
Like it did in the Super Bowl, Macdonald's defense made life miserable for Maye -- though it took a while to get to New England's quarterback, despite a heavy dose of blitzes. All three of the Seahawks' sacks came in the fourth quarter, and their three interceptions came on the final three possessions.
Safety Julian Love, who picked off Maye in the Super Bowl, did it again with under 10 minutes remaining to set up Myers' go-ahead field goal. Then, with the Patriots in position to kick a potential tying field goal, Maye threw into the end zone and was picked by cornerback Josh Jobe, who got both feet in bounds to seal Seattle's win.
"Really happy for Josh just playing all the way to the very last play," Macdonald said. "That's really remarkable. So, proud to get the win, but also understand it's the first game and we have a really great opportunity here to take our game to the next level. We talk about the '26 Seahawks and understanding our identity and who we are, I think that definitely revealed the type of team that we have -- a resilient, tough bunch that sticks together. I'm really proud of the effort and just really proud to be a Seahawk today."
