Seahawks QB Sam Darnold has unique glute injury, return unclear

The Seattle Seahawks announced Monday that quarterback Sam Darnold is dealing with a "very unique" soft tissue glute injury, leaving his return timeline uncertain. The team stated the injury is considered short-term and that Darnold's hip joint was unaffected, but officials did not provide a specific recovery period. Darnold, 29, did not practice on Monday and is unlikely to play in the team's Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The injury occurred during the Seahawks' season-opening 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots. On the first series, Darnold was sacked and limped off the field. Backup quarterback Drew Lock replaced him and completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown to secure the win. Lock is now in line to start against Arizona. A Seahawks spokesperson confirmed the injury details on Monday, noting that Darnold has not been placed on injured reserve. The team's general manager, John Schneider, had previously indicated that Darnold avoided a fractured hip. The quarterback was at the team facility on Monday. The lack of a firm timeline has created some strategic ambiguity.