Seahawks Learned Something Crucial After Sam Darnold Injury Scare

The Seahawks couldn't have known what was coming when Sam Darnold limped toward the locker room Wednesday night.

A hip injury. Their starting quarterback gone after one possession. A 10-point deficit eventually staring them in the face as their Super Bowl defense began with just about everything going wrong.

Three days later … Seattle can breathe a little easier.

The news on Darnold has been about as encouraging as the Seahawks could have hoped. A fracture has been ruled out, and head coach Mike Macdonald said Thursday that the injury appears to be muscular as Seattle works through a recovery plan.

"It's been positive news, so right now we're working through the extent of the injury and then putting a plan in place to get back rocking and rolling," Macdonald said.

That's the news that matters most.

What happened after Darnold left might matter quite a bit, too.

Drew Lock was dropped into about as difficult a situation as a backup quarterback can get. Darnold went down on Seattle's opening possession, leaving Lock to take over with virtually no warning.

Then the Seahawks fell behind 10-0.

READ MORE: Is Seahawks' Drew Lock 'NFL's Best Backup QB?' Sam Darnold Injury Offers Opportunity

Lock never looked overwhelmed.

The veteran completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown, helping Seattle claw back for a 13-10 win. His biggest throw came when the Seahawks needed it most — a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that tied the game in the fourth quarter.

"I thought Drew played great," Macdonald said. "Ball's never in jeopardy. Was aggressive when he needed to be."

That's exactly what Seattle needs from Lock with Darnold expected to miss its Sept. 20 trip to Arizona.

There shouldn't be any confusion about what that means.

Darnold is Seattle's starter. He just led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship, and one relief appearance isn't changing that.

What it can change is how Seattle handles the next few weeks.

Backup quarterback is one of those positions nobody wants to think about … until suddenly it becomes one of the most important spots on the roster.

READ MORE: Seahawks Offer Loose Timeline On Sam Darnold Injury Update

Seattle doesn't have to wonder about Lock anymore.

He walked into the season opener with virtually no warning, helped erase a 10-point deficit and protected the football while giving Seattle's defense time to take over.

If that's the formula for a short stretch, Seattle can live with it.

The Seahawks have extra time before their trip to Arizona and expect to have a clearer recovery plan for Darnold when they return to work Monday.

There's no reason to turn his return into a race.

Seattle needs its starting quarterback healthy for where it wants this season to end — not simply healthy enough to get through one September afternoon.

Wednesday night could have changed the Seahawks' season for all the wrong reasons.

Instead, Darnold avoided the diagnosis Seattle feared most … and Lock gave the Seahawks something they couldn't have expected to learn so soon.

They can afford to wait.