Talk about a pain in the glute.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will miss Sunday’s game against the NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz., because of a “very unique, soft tissue” glute injury, sustained on the fifth play from scrimmage in a season-opening 13-10 victory against New England in a Super Bowl LX rematch on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Drew Lock, who helped rally the Seahawks from a 10-point deficit in Week 1, will take over for Darnold, with Jalen Milroe serving as the backup.
“Drew’s a proven, really good player in this league, and when he’s started, he’s played really good football,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “He’s a heck of a guy, heck of a teammate. He’s got a great balance about him of being like a true professional, but also he’s a loose and focused guy.”
There’s no timetable for Darnold’s return, though the Seahawks haven’t placed him on injured reserve.
Lock, who will be making his first start since he was with the New York Giants in 2024, was 16-of-22 passing for 187 yards and a touchdown – a 45-yarder to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on fourth-and-1 – in relief last week.
Seattle’s defense pitched in, intercepting New England’s Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter. Josh Jobe picked off a pass in the end zone in the final minute with the Patriots in field-goal range.
“I mean, even outside of our mentality of bend-don’t-break and supporting the next guy up, I think we all have faith in Drew because we believe that he’s the best second-string quarterback in the league,” Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams said.
The Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 in their opener Sunday in Inglewood, Calif.
Veteran Jacoby Brissett completed 27 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown as the Cardinals gave Mike LaFleur a victory in his head-coaching debut as 9 1/2-point underdogs.
It was a surprising victory for an Arizona team that went 3-14 last season.
“We’re not dumb, it’s not that we don’t hear the noise,” LaFleur said. “We just ignore the noise, be above the noise.”
LaFleur, previously the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator, knows the Cardinals will be in for a difficult test against Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense.
“Everything, there’s just no weakness whatsoever,” LaFleur said. “It’s a player-driven league, but you’d be messed up not to say how well they are coached, too. It’s 11 guys working in unison that just understand what’s going on. They have great players and great coaches. They’re fundamentally sound. They’re violent. The tape speaks for itself. You talk about the silent tape … that tape is not silent.”
Sunday’s game will feature a matchup of former Notre Dame teammates Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, the only two running backs selected in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.
Arizona’s Love, the No. 3 overall pick, carried 11 times for 41 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 9 yards in the opener. Seattle’s Price, who went No. 32 overall, had 10 carries for 52 yards and caught two passes for 6 yards.
In addition to Darnold, Seahawks safety Ty Okada (hamstring) missed Wednesday’s practice. Offensive linemen Anthony Bradford (knee) and Josh Jones (knee), wide receiver Cooper Kupp (back) and safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle/hip) were limited.
Cardinals offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo (shoulder) didn’t practice, with fellow lineman Isaiah Adams (knee) limited. Defensive lineman Roy Lopez (groin), linebackers Jack Gibbens (shoulder) and Cody Simon (shoulder), and defensive backs Max Melton (ankle), Garrett Williams (Achilles) and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ribs) were limited.