Los Angeles, United States (AFP) — Reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle will be without injured quarterback Sam Darnold when the Seahawks visit Arizona next weekend, Coach Mike Macdonald said on Wednesday.

The Seahawks lost Darnold early in a 13-10 home victory over New England last week in a rematch of last February’s Super Bowl in the NFL 2026 season opener.

They visit Arizona on Sunday with no plans to put Darnold on injured reserve but no timetable for when he might return from what has been diagnosed as a right gluteal muscle injury, other than to call it a short-term injury.

Darnold exited early with what appeared to be a hip injury after a sack that ended Seattle’s first drive.

Medical exams found that the hip joint was unaffected by what the team dubbed a “very unique soft-tissue injury”.

Drew Lock, who rallied the Seahawks to victory over the Patriots as a fill-in after Darnold’s injury, will likely make his first start since 2024 when Seattle visits the Cardinals.

The Seahawks visit Washington on September 27, play host to the Los Angeles Chargers on October 4 and entertain San Francisco on October 11.

Darnold, 29, was the third pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He went 14-3 last season with Seattle, throwing for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns.