The stage was set for Wednesday night’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Lumen Field in Seattle. The reigning Super Bowl champions were making their return in front of the home crowd. On the other hand, the Patriots were ready to unleash a wide receiver who once won the Super Bowl and was traded to New England from the Philadelphia Eagles on June 1. So, you can imagine the atmosphere. But the excitement was interrupted twice. Why? Injuries to two key players.
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The first was A.J. Brown, the Patriots’ wide receiver, who was making his debut for the team. The second was Sam Darnold, the Seahawks’ quarterback. Now, the question is: How did the two players suffer their injuries? Let’s take a closer look.
Sam Darnold had to leave the field in the first quarter
On the fifth play of the game, Sam Darnold landed hard on his right knee while being sacked from behind by linebacker Dre’Mont Jones on third down. After getting off the field, Darnold was examined in the medical tent before limping to the locker room as the Seahawks took the field for their second possession.
Meanwhile, senior NFL insider Josina Anderson posted a concerning update on X.
She wrote, “Sam Darnold is questionable to return with a hip, per Mike Turico. And that’s how quickly things can turn in the NFL… Darnold was clearly hoping the pain would quickly subside, but based on the way he came off, clearly something at least notable occurred.
“We’ll wait for the complete diagnosis after adrenaline & inflammation reduce.”
Meanwhile, reporter Ian Rapoport confirmed that Darnold underwent further testing on his hip off-site. That meant there was no chance of him returning to the game, and he was replaced by Drew Lock. However, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald later confirmed that Darnold’s hip was not broken.
On X, Jesse Morse, a well-known sports physician, suggested that Darnold could have suffered a posterior labral tear, with a possible fracture. He also noted that Darnold may have suffered a right PCL sprain in his knee. Altogether, the situation looked quite serious.
Later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter quoted sources in a post on X. According to those sources, the quarterback was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he underwent a CT scan on his hip. The initial test was encouraging but inconclusive, and Darnold was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday.
On the other hand, according to Rapoport’s update, the head coach explained that the doctors’ assessment did not indicate a fracture. Both the X-ray and CT scan confirmed that. However, the final update will come after Thursday’s MRI.
Now, let’s have a look at A.J. Brown’s injury update.
A.J. Brown’s fall cost the game for the Patriots
Early in the third quarter, A.J. Brown remained down after a third-down incomplete pass in which quarterback Drake Maye was throwing in his direction with Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett in tight coverage.
Pritchett’s right knee appeared to land on Brown’s ankle with the force of his body weight. Brown grabbed the back of his right leg as he sat up.
He slowly walked to the medical tent for an extended evaluation. After that, he made his way to the locker room.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Mike Reiss posted on X: “Patriots injury update: A.J. Brown (right ankle) will not return tonight, per the team.”
Well, before leaving, Brown was already having a memorable debut for the Patriots. He had three catches for 26 yards and helped set up the Patriots’ first touchdown of the game. After he left with the injury, the Patriots’ offense struggled to find any rhythm.
Their next five drives totaled just 32 plays and 93 yards, resulting in a field goal, a punt, and three interceptions. The Patriots managed only five yards on their first drive, went three-and-out on the second, and then threw interceptions on each of their final three possessions. That ultimately contributed to the New England Patriots’ 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
But at this moment, the biggest question is Brown’s status. According to Mike Reiss’ update, Patriots captain Kevin Byard III saw Brown in the training room after the game and said he was in “good spirits.” On the other hand, coach Mike Vrabel said he did not have an update on the wide receiver’s injury.
So, now the fans will have to wait a few more hours for the final updates on the two players’ injuries.