Sam Darnold Limps Off With Hip Injury, Drew Lock Takes Over in Seattle
Darnold exited after a first-drive sack and is questionable to return. Drew Lock is now under center for the Seahawks.
Hip injury, questionable to return — monitor before making any lineup moves.
- Darnold exited on the first drive of Week 1
- Questionable to return with a hip injury
- Completed 1 of 2 passes for 13 yards before exit
- Sacked by Dre'Mont Jones on the possession
- Drew Lock took over on Seattle's second drive
Sam Darnold's season lasted exactly one drive before trouble hit. Seattle's quarterback limped off after being sacked by Dre'Mont Jones late on the opening possession, and the Seahawks have since ruled him questionable to return with a hip injury. Before leaving, Darnold went 1-of-2 for 13 yards.
The sequence played out fast. Cameras first caught Darnold standing on the sideline, then walking into the medical tent during New England's first offensive series, before he headed back to the locker room for further examination. Drew Lock trotted out for Seattle's second drive with the game still knotted 0-0 midway through the first quarter.
This is a gut punch for anyone who invested in Darnold as a mid-tier fantasy starter. He finished 2025 as a legit QB1 streamer, throwing for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and zero interceptions across 17 games — good for 269 PPR points and our No. 13 ranking at the position. Losing him this early stings if you were counting on that floor.
The Drew Lock Problem
If Darnold can't return, Lock is the entire fantasy conversation in Seattle — and it's not a pretty one. In five games last season (2025), Lock managed just 15 passing yards, no touchdowns, no picks and minus-5 rushing yards, adding up to 0 PPR points. He's unranked in our model for a reason. Nobody's streaming that with confidence.
The bigger ripple hits Seattle's pass catchers. A downgrade at quarterback tightens the ceiling on every wideout and tight end in that offense, so anyone relying on the Seahawks' aerial attack should brace for a quieter afternoon if Lock plays extended snaps.
For now, the word to hang on is 'questionable' — not 'out.' A hip injury on a sack is the kind of thing that can look ugly and still turn into a return, or turn into weeks on the shelf. Don't panic-drop Darnold based on one limp to the tent.
Fantasy managers who started Darnold this week are stuck riding it out, but keep your waiver plans loose for the days ahead. If the diagnosis lingers, you'll want a real streaming option — because Drew Lock isn't it. Hold Darnold, watch the postgame update closely, and hit the wire the moment his status turns from questionable to a timeline.
