Seahawks get ‘great news’ on Sam Darnold’s injury

While Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was not able to finish the 13-10 season-opening win over the New England Patriots on Wednesday night, coach Mike Macdonald indicated he may not be out long.

Macdonald said tests revealed that Darnold does not have a fracture in his injured right hip “which is great news.”

“With Sam, we got great news back,” Macdonald volunteered during his opening statement during his post-game news conference. “Let’s just say it’s good news right now.”

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ESPN reported that Darnold was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and had undergone a CT scan on his hip and that the initial test was encouraging but inconclusive and that he is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday in the hope of further ruling out a significant injury.

Darnold was injured when he hit the ground awkwardly on a sack by former Seahawk Dre’Mont Jones after trying to step up in the pocket and find an open receiver on the fifth play of the game, a third-and-six.

Darnold was examined in the blue medical tent, taken to the locker room and in the second quarter was ruled out.

“At this point, we were able to rule out a fracture,” Macdonald said. “So there is some more testing to be done and so that’s what I’m saying when it’s positive, so still working through all that. Right now I think fracture is out, which is great news.”

Asked if there’s a chance Darnold might be able to play when the Seahawks visit Arizona on Sept. 20, Macdonald didn’t say he would but also didn’t rule it out.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know what the extent is.”

Backup Drew Lock took over and led the Seahawks from a 10-0 third-quarter deficit, including completing a 45-yard TD pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a fourth-and-one play early in the fourth quarter.

“We had a lot of confidence in Drew coming in playing at high level,” Macdonald said of Lock, who completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards with a TD and no interceptions.

That Lock didn’t turn the ball over while New England’s Drake Maye threw interceptions on each of his team’s last three series may have excited Macdonald most of all.

“Drew Lock deserves a gigantic shout out for playing clean football,” Macdonald said.

Smith-Njigba, who had 69 yards on three receptions and a touchdown in the second half to help key the win, said the Seahawks have full confidence in Lock for as long as Darnold is out.

“It’s tough losing 14,” Smith-Njigba said. “I mean, he’s the head of the snake. But we have each other’s backs, like I said. We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in and do his thing. He’s done it time and time again. We just have to have each other’s back, like I’m saying. I’m just super proud of everybody.”