Eli Raridon scores touchdown as injured Sam Darnold exits

New England Patriots established a 7-0 advantage over Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle on the night of September 9, 2026, during an early regular season matchup in the NFL. Tight end Eli Raridon broke the scoreless tie during the second quarter of the contest when he secured a catch along the back line of the end zone to record the first touchdown of his professional football career.

The successful scoring march orchestrated by the visiting team gained significant traction when wide receiver A.J. Brown slipped past defensive coverage during a trick play involving a lateral toss back to the pocket. Cornerback Josh Jobe received a penalty flag from game officials for committing defensive pass interference on the drive. A. Borregales converted the extra point.

Seattle turns to backup passer after starting quarterback suffers hip issue

Starting quarterback Sam Darnold limped off the playing surface after absorbing a costly sack on the opening offensive possession of the Seattle Seahawks, which forced backup Drew Lock into immediate action while the coaching staff officially designated Darnold as questionable to return due to hip soreness before the injured passer walked back toward the locker room.

Understand the case: Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold suffers hip injury just five snaps into season opener, status questionable for immediate return

The Seattle coaching staff kept young signal-caller Jalen Milroe dressed on the active game-day roster as the emergency third quarterback for the subsequent quarters of play. During that opening offensive series, New England defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones took down the opposing quarterback behind the line of scrimmage to record his first sack in uniform for his new organization.

Pregame ceremonies at Lumen Field featured former franchise standout Kam Chancellor, who participated in the official unfurling of the commemorative banner celebrating the Super Bowl LX championship title won by the Seattle Seahawks.