NFL · New England Patriots · 09:05 ET · via Breakline desk

Sam Darnold Awaits MRI Results as Seahawks Brace for Potential IR Stint

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Ian Rapoport noted on Good Morning Football that initial results were encouraging but short-term IR is still a possibility.

Breakline desk · 09:05 ET

quarterback is currently in the MRI waiting room, hoping his hip injury is more of a minor speed bump than a multi-week detour. According to Ian Rapoport on Good Morning Football, the initial tests were encouraging, but a short-term trip to injured reserve is still very much on the table.

"Encouraging but maybe IR" is the NFL medical equivalent of a mechanic telling you the engine sounds fine but you should probably leave the car in the shop for a month. It is the exact kind of contradictory update that leaves fans refreshing their feeds and oddsmakers freezing the board.

The injury scare comes right on the heels of grinding out a 13-10 rock fight of a win over the . When your offense is only putting up 13 points in a victory, losing your starting quarterback is the absolute last thing you want to add to the equation.

If the MRI confirms the worst and Darnold lands on short-term IR, he will be forced to sit for at least four games. That is a massive chunk of the early-season schedule to navigate with a backup under center, especially in an NFC West race that rarely forgives a bad month.

For anyone holding futures or looking at their upcoming spreads, this is a pure holding pattern. You cannot confidently back a team when the most important position on the field is a coin flip between a healthy starter and a guy holding a clipboard.

The Seahawks should have clarity by the end of the day. Until then, is just crossing its fingers and hoping Darnold's hip cooperates enough to keep him off the shelf.