Of everything fans expected in the season opener, losing reigning Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold to an injury in the first few minutes was not on their bingo cards.
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Darnold went down with an injury in the Seahawks’ opening drive against the Patriots. Just three minutes into the first quarter on a third-and-six, Patriots’ Dre’Mont Jones sacked Darnold. But when the quarterback rose, he came up limping. Here’s what Doctor of Physical Therapy and injury analyst Jeff Muller at Fantasy Points shared about the development.
“Sam Darnold limped off to the locker room with a Hip injury,” he wrote on X. “He was driven directly into the ground. Worst case scenario: hip socket fracture to a lesser degree of Tua at Bama. Hopefully it’s not worst case and just a sprain or small labral tear.”
During the SEC Championship Game against Mississippi State, Tagovailoa dislocated his hip and fractured the posterior wall. It happened when two defenders tackled Tagovailoa, and he drove his knee into the turf. That forced his femur out of the back of the acetabular cup.
Tagovailoa underwent corrective surgery to stabilize and repair the joint, and missed the rest of the 2019 season. The bone itself takes about 10-12 weeks to heal, leaving the injured player on crutches. And a return to the field takes at least six months of rehabilitation. Nevertheless, Tagovailoa returned to play and got drafted in the first round by the Miami Dolphins.
Darnold first went to the medical tent after taking the hit, and then walked to the locker room for X-rays, limping heavily on his right side. Initially listed as questionable after the injury, insider Ian Rapoport reported that the quarterback will not be returning to the game.
Darnold was replaced by Drew Lock, who played only five games for Seattle last season.
Meanwhile, Dr Mueller also hinted at the possibility of a simple sprain or a minor tear in the hip labrum. The labrum is actually a small ring of cartilage around the hip socket that helps stabilize and cushion the joint. A tear in the labrum can cause pain, stiffness, and slight instability. But it isn’t catastrophic. If it’s a small tear, some rest and medications can help Darnold recover.
For now, the Seahawks and their fans are holding their breath, hoping for Dr Mueller’s optimistic alternative. If it is merely a sprain, Darnold could potentially return in a few days. However, if imaging confirms a hip socket fracture, Seattle will be forced to hand the keys of the franchise over to backup Drew Lock for the remainder of the year.
Head coach Mike MacDonald pledged his support to Darnold.
“We got to pick him up,” he said at halftime. “We got faith in Drew (Lock) & he’s settled into the game now so we should be able to execute our game plan. “But that’s why we say 12 as 1. We got to pick him up.”