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Sam Darnold makes ‘eye-opening’ admission after Week 1 injury led to a hospital visit
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- Sam Darnold makes ‘eye-opening’ admission after Week 1 injury led to a hospital visit
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Sam Darnold has opened up about the perspective-changing hospital visit that followed his Week 1 injury, admitting the experience made him think about much more than his own football career.
The Seattle Seahawks quarterback suffered a right glute injury during the opening possession of their 13-10 win over the New England Patriots and was taken to a trauma centre for further testing.
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Darnold missed Seattle's next two games as he recovered, with Drew Lock stepping in and helping the Seahawks move to 2-0. The quarterback has now been cleared to return against the Washington Commanders .
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Sam Darnold admits the hospital visit changed his perspective
Speaking to reporters, Darnold explained that being at the hospital gave him a different outlook while he was worrying about his own injury.
"I will say this, just the perspective on life that I got going to the hospital seeing some of the people and what they're dealing with, that was eye-opening, especially in the position I was in, worrying about the injury and how long I was going to be out, it was good to get that perspective, I guess."
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The injury had initially caused Darnold to fear the worst. According to the reports, he worried that it could potentially end his season and even affect his career beyond 2026.
"There was so many different things that were running through my mind," Darnold said, "and that was one of them."
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Those concerns have eased considerably after Darnold progressed through practice. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed that his starting quarterback will play in Week 3.
"Sam's gonna play, and he's ready to go," Macdonald said. "He's done a great job."
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Darnold will now return to a Seahawks team that has started the season 2-0, with Lock having performed well in his absence.
For Darnold, the focus is simply on getting back to playing without worrying about the injury. He said he needs to feel confident in his body, including when running and sliding, before fully putting the setback behind him.
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