Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Departs Season Opener vs. Patriots After First Drive

If the Seattle Seahawks are going to beat the New England Patriots again, they’re going to have to do it without their starting quarterback. Sam Darnold departed Wednesday’s season-opening matchup after the Seahawks’ first drive. He suffered a hip injury and was eventually ruled out of the game right before halftime. Darnold was sacked on the final play of the Seahawks’ opening drive. However, he didn’t show any clear signs of injury when he left the field. In fact, Darnold told the Seahawks’ training staff he didn’t need to be looked at when he first returned to the sideline after getting sacked by Patriots defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones. He was later evaluated in the blue medical tent and eventually went into the locker room. Drew Lock entered the game for the Seahawks on their second drive. He completed 6 of 8 passes for 51 yards over the first half, but Lock struggled to lead the Seahawks to a score. They trailed the Patriots 7-0 going into halftime, with the Seahawks punting the ball on Lock’s first three drives before running the clock out to end the first half in his fourth drive. Darnold led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl title last season. He threw for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the regular season as Seattle won a franchise-record 14 games. The Associated Press contributed to this report.