NFL Week 1 Injury Fallout: Darnold Dodges Major Damage as Stars Navigate Early Setbacks

The 2026 NFL season is barely out of the gates, but the league's training rooms are already operating at mid-season capacity. Across the opening slate of games, high-profile injuries have violently reshaped depth charts, forcing contenders to test their contingency plans immediately. Yet amid the early attrition, the most significant news of the week was a disaster averted in the Pacific Northwest.

During Wednesday night’s high-stakes Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold exited the game after taking a sack late in his brief appearance. Darnold played just five snaps before walking to the locker room with a noticeable limp, casting an immediate shadow over Seattle's title defense.[5]

By Thursday morning, however, the Seahawks received a massive reprieve. MRI results confirmed that Darnold suffered a muscle injury near his hip, completely avoiding major structural damage. "It's been positive news," Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters. "Right now we're just working through the extent of the injury and put a plan in place to get back rocking and rolling."[1]

Seattle has the luxury of patience. Backup quarterback Drew Lock stepped in seamlessly, engineering a 13-10 comeback victory over New England. Lock's command of the offense means the Seahawks will not need to rush Darnold back for their September 20 clash with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Patriots did not escape Wednesday night with the same fortune. Star wide receiver A.J. Brown went down in the second half after his right ankle was rolled up on during a slant route. While Brown avoided a fracture, an MRI confirmed a high ankle sprain that will sideline him for several games. He was seen leaving the stadium in a walking boot, removing New England's most potent offensive weapon for the foreseeable future.[1]

The injury toll expanded globally on Friday when the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers kicked off in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers cruised to a 27-7 victory, but the game was marred by the quiet debut of Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett. The reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, acquired from Cleveland over the summer, logged zero tackles in his first game for Los Angeles.[2]

Following a grueling 15-hour flight back to California, Garrett acknowledged that a lingering knee injury—which limited him throughout training camp—was far more significant than previously disclosed. "This was the worst version of myself that I've put out there, and I've got to be better," Garrett admitted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. "I've got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be and I've shown that I've been before."[2]

The 49ers absorbed their own blow in Melbourne when rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, the No. 33 overall pick in April's draft, was carted off the field in the second quarter with an ankle injury. San Francisco had been counting heavily on Stribling after losing Ricky Pearsall for the season during the summer.[4]

However, San Francisco's defensive front received a massive emotional and physical lift. Star edge rusher Nick Bosa made his triumphant return to the field against the Rams, playing his first meaningful snaps since tearing his right ACL in Week 3 of the 2025 season. His presence anchored a defense that completely stifled the Rams' attack.[3]

Back stateside, practice fields offered their own scares. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, preparing for his highly anticipated debut with the franchise against the Pittsburgh Steelers, suffered an oblique injury during individual throwing drills on Thursday. Tagovailoa briefly went to the ground and was limited thereafter, forcing backup Cooper Rush to take all the first-team repetitions.[1][4]

The sheer volume of Week 1 injuries underscores the brutal, unrelenting physical reality of professional football, but it also highlights the immense value of roster construction. Teams that invested heavily in premium backups—like Seattle with Lock and Atlanta with Rush—are uniquely positioned to weather the storm. As the initial medical evaluations conclude, the focus shifts entirely to rehabilitation and the inevitable "next man up" mentality that defines the marathon of an NFL season.