Inside How Myles Garrett's Injury Changes Outlook of Seahawks’ Sam Darnold Scare

The Seattle Seahawks received good news on Sam Darnold's injured hip earlier this week.

A few days later, the circumstances surrounding their quarterback problem became a little more manageable … thanks to some bad news roughly 1,100 miles down the coast.

Los Angeles Rams star Myles Garrett is headed to injured reserve and will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, according to multiple reports, guaranteeing the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year will miss at least four games.

For Seattle, the timing matters.

Darnold injured his right hip on the Seahawks' opening possession of Wednesday's 13-10 season-opening win over New England.

The initial concern was significant enough to send him to the hospital for testing, but Seattle ruled out the initial fear of a hip fracture — Mike Macdonald later said the injury was muscle-related and that the hip itself was intact.

READ MORE: Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba Scouts 'Tough' Sam Darnold Injury

Losing a starting quarterback for any amount of time can change a season. Garrett's absence doesn't suddenly make Darnold less important, though it does give Seattle a little more breathing room while navigating the uncertainty.

Los Angeles entered 2026 as one of Seattle's most imposing challengers in the NFC West after losing to the Seahawks in last season's NFC Championship Game.

The Rams responded by making a massive offseason investment in Garrett, sending Jared Verse along with a 2027 first-round pick, 2028 second-round pick and 2029 third-round pick to Cleveland.

Garrett was supposed to help close the gap.

One game into that experiment … Los Angeles has another problem.

The Rams opened their season with a 27-7 loss to San Francisco, and Garrett failed to record a tackle, sack or quarterback hit while dealing with the knee issue. Now Los Angeles will navigate at least four games without the centerpiece of its defensive overhaul.

Seattle, meanwhile, has already shown it can survive most of a game without Darnold.

Drew Lock completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown after Darnold exited against New England, eventually leading two late scoring drives while Macdonald's defense intercepted Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter.

READ MORE: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Offers Ideal Reaction To Seahawks' Season-Opening Win

That doesn't make a prolonged Darnold absence harmless — far from it. Seattle's ceiling remains much higher with its $100.5 million quarterback behind center.

The circumstances surrounding the injury have changed, though.

Seattle escaped Week 1 with a win and ruled out the initial fear of a fracture in Darnold's hip. Los Angeles — one of the teams best positioned to capitalize on any Seahawks stumble — is already 0-1 and preparing to spend at least four games without the player it paid a massive price to acquire.

There is no one-for-one tradeoff here. Darnold's health will matter to Seattle long after Garrett returns to the Rams, and quarterback carries a different weight than any defensive position.

Still, the Seahawks entered this week facing the possibility that an injury to their most important player could hand an early opening to one of their biggest NFC West threats. Instead, that rival suddenly has its own September to survive.

That doesn't solve the Darnold problem … it just makes the road through it look a little less daunting.